Boosted
by Bast the bard
Summary: My family has always been quirkless. As long as quirks have existed, not a single person in my family has ever had a quirk... well, everyone except for me. When I decided to use my power for good as a hero, I only thought of the justice that heroes bring and the glory they receive. No one told me about the pain... the fear... the heartbreak... the failure... OC main character.
1. Kokuree Shiamasu: Origin

**Hey guys! Welcome to my first My Hero Academia fic. I hope you all enjoy it and will continue to read the story. If you don't like it and decide not to read further, then please let me know why you didn't like it by leaving a review.**

 **I, of course, don't own My Hero Academia or any of the characters associated with it. I only own my own original characters. Now enjoy!**

My family had been always been quirkless. As long as quirks have been around, not a single member of my family had had a quirk, on both my mother's and my father's sides. They used to tell me that that was one of the things that brought them together: their lack of powers.

When I was born, everyone assumed that I would be the same as the rest of my family: quirkless. How could I have had a quirk? No one really knew what caused quirks to appear in the first place, and scientists still only had a few tentative hypothesis as to how they were passed down amongst families. However, it was generally accepted that quirks were like any other physical trait, and required a combination of dominant and recessive genes to manifest.

Since no one in the history of my family had ever had a quirk, it went without saying that we simply lacked the genes for any of us to have them. And until I was 8 years old, that was what we all believed. That I was just another plain member of the Shiamasu family: quirkless and ordinary.

When I turned 6 and showed no sign of developing a quirk, it didn't really faze me too much. I had long since accepted that I would be like the rest of my family. Was I just a little disappointed? Of course. What little kid doesn't dream about having super powers and saving the world? Especially in our superhuman society?

But at the same time I was relieved. While it would have been cool to have a quirk, I was afraid of what might happen if I did develop one. I didn't want to be different from my mom and dad, or my cousins, or my uncles and aunts. And I especially didn't want to be different from my Dad's parents.

My grandmother and grandfather were both quirkless, like the rest of my family. But they were unique in that they hated quirks. They saw quirks as unnatural and perverse. They believed that humans were meant to be ordinary like us, and referred to people with quirks as "impure".

When I was 7, I asked my dad why they hated quirks so much, he only shook his head and smiled a small, sad smile. But that smile didn't reach his eyes. As little 7 year old me looked into my father's eyes, I saw an emotion that I wasn't familiar with, and it was only later that I came to realize what that emotion was…

It was deep, heart-wrenching sorrow.

I never asked my dad about it again.

Two years passed, and I started the 2nd grade as the only quirkless kid in my class. My parents were a little afraid that I would be picked on for my lack of a quirk, but it wasn't a problem at all. We had all been together since kindergarten, and they all knew I didn't have a quirk. But they didn't treat me any differently because of it. Besides, as far as quirks go my class was pretty weak. My classmates may have all had quirks, but none of them were particularly powerful or dangerous. To be perfectly honest, they were all pretty harmless.

Half the year went by without a hitch, and my life was about as normal as you would expect an 8 year old's life to be. I learned how to multiply and divide. I played with my friends. I ran errands with my parents. And of course, I watched superheroes on TV. Everything was going great.

But all of that changed when we got a new classmate. When we all walked into class on that fateful February morning, he was standing up front by the teacher's desk. He was huge by a 2nd grade standard, with wild brown hair that was blown back as if he had stuck his head out the window of a fast car. He glared at as all as we walked in, crossing his arms and sneering. One of my friend's gawked at him for a moment, and the new kid whipped his head around and growled, baring sharp fangs like a wolf.

I felt a chill run down my spine at that moment and a moved quickly to my desk, eager to get away from the mysterious boy.

Once everyone had taken their seats my teacher introduced the boy as Konaa Sumisu, and told us that he would be joining our class. My teacher told us all to be kind and to treat Sumisu as our friend. When my teacher asked him if he would like to say anything to us, he just rolled his eyes and took a seat in an empty desk in the back row.

It didn't take us long for us all to figure out what Sumisu's quirk was. It was a powerful quirk which he proudly called lycanthropy. It gave him the power to grow fangs and claws like a wolf at will, on top of night vision and enhanced strength and ferocity.

At first we were all in awe of Sumisu; we had never had a classmate as powerful as him before. Some of us thought he might even have been strong enough to become a pro hero. The way he carried himself, the way he interacted with us, it was a new experience for all of us. We had never seen arrogance like his before, and we were drawn to its novelty.

That novelty wore off quickly though, and we began to see Sumisu for what he really was: a beast.

Even though the use of quirks was forbidden in school, Sumisu still used his quirk during recess in order to win. That was another thing we all feared and admired about Sumisu: the incredible control he had on his power. Most of my classmates only had two choices for the quirks. Either they used it at 100% or not at all. A few of the others could exercise a degree of control over their quirks, but nothing like Sumisu.

Sumisu could control his quirk better than anyone we had ever seen, and he used that to his advantage. He could make himself stronger and quicker, but he could keep himself from growing fangs and claws, so it looked like he was just rough-housing a little bit. A few of the teachers suspected, but they had no proof that Sumisu was using his quirk. Additionally, he was a lot bigger for his age, a fact that his parents used to defend him whenever they were called in to school to explain why Sumisu had sent home one of his classmates with a bad bruise or a bloody nose.

So Sumisu used his power to terrorize our class, and nobody did anything about it. The teachers were helpless without proof, and none of us were strong enough or brave enough to stand up to him.

For months Sumisu bullied us, berated us, and physically abused us. As soon as we entered our school, no one was safe from his wrath. But no one was subjected to as much abuse as I was.

Just as my grandparents hated people with quirks, Sumisu hated me for my lack one a quirk. Like a predator, he singled me out as the weakest in the class and made me his target. Everyday I came to school shaking, dreadfully awaiting whatever punishment Sumisu had in store for me that day. My classmates began to avoid me as well. Anyone who interacted with me was subjected to the same abuse that Sumisu dealt me, so I was shunned. I wanted to hate my classmates for abandoning me, but I couldn't. I knew what Sumisu was capable of, and I understood that no one wanted to be treated as badly as I was.

Eventually, I came to hate myself for not having a quirk as Sumisu did, and I blamed my family for not being able to give me one. I became withdrawn and sullen, and my parents could only watch helplessly as their only son withered away inside himself.

In those days, my only respite from the torture was my English teacher, Miss Harioka. Miss Harioka was a beautiful young woman who had came to our school that year as an English teacher. She was kind, funny, intelligent, and great with young kids. She was and is to this day, my favorite teacher. She was fond of all of her students, but she especially cared for me. Initially I thought she was giving me special treatment because I didn't have a quirk, but when I asked her about it, she said that wasn't it at all.

"I like you because you're a good person Shiamasu. You genuinely care for others. You're kind and smart, and you'll do great things one day I just know it. Just try to remember me when you're rich and famous, okay?"

As my friends and teachers began to turn their backs on me, and even my parents floundered helplessly for a way to sooth my anguish, Miss Harioka was the only one gave me what I needed: kindness. Whenever I felt angry or depressed, she was always there to dry my tears, make me smile, and support me. In those days, I loved her like my own mother.

Then…

During the last week of school, Sumisu's beatings became even more savage than before. He tortured me relentlessly; constantly verbally abusing me and attacking me whenever he could. Before he was careful, only hitting me in places where the damage couldn't be seen, or teasing me when there weren't any witnesses. But as the last day of school approached he became fanatical in his bullying, abandoning all tact and caution in favor of a constant assault.

On the second to last day of school, he cornered me in an empty classroom and began to use his claws to carve his name onto my stomach. Miss Harioka heard me screaming and rushed in to help. She tried to pull Sumisu off of me, but he growled like a monster and threw her off him and sent her crashing into the wall.

As she collapsed to the floor, a line of blood trickling from her forehead, I felt something snap inside of me. All at once I felt an incredible power flow through my body, like molten lead was being poured into my veins. I stood up and glared at Sumisu, filling my gaze with months of hate and directing it right at him.

But he just stood there and glared right back at me. Then, he smiled and splayed the fingers on his right hand, his nails extending into jagged claws. He kept staring at me and smiling as he bent over and caressed Miss Harioka's cheek with his claws, then cut a red line of blood across it. My vision went crimson with anger and a screamed in rage. Suddenly, I was in front of Sumisu, his smile twisting into a grimace of fear.

Then we were outside the school, my hands wrapped around his throat. His eyes were as wide as dinner plates and he frantically clawed at my arms and hands to free himself. I screamed again and began to run, holding Sumisu out at arm's length in front of me. I kept screaming as I ran with Sumisu in front of me all through the town, his arms and legs flapping frantically to free himself. Cars stopped to regard us as we ran by, and all the people we passed froze in shock. Eventually, I stopped in front of my family's apartment and collapsed parking lot, Sumisu lying unconscious next to me.

I came to in the hospital. My parents wept when I regained consciousness and held me for a long time. When I asked why they were crying so much, they told me that I had been unconscious for exactly 72 hours, and that during those three days my body had shut down so that nothing but the most basic bodily functions necessary to keep me alive were working. When I asked why that had happened, they shook their heads and said they didn't know. All they knew was that they had found me outside of our apartment with Sumisu and had brought us both to the hospital when they saw the condition we were in.

That last part confused me, so I asked them what they meant by "our condition". Sumisu wasn't hurt, only a little scared, I said. I then conceded that he may have had a bruised neck from where I was holding him, but other than that he should have been fine.

My parents looked at each other, then back at me. Then they sat down and told me what I had done.

Sumisu's legs and arms were all dislocated, and he had suffered severe whiplash. Not only that, but he seemed to be in shock.

I was stunned. I stared at them, mouth ajar, for seconds before slowly shaking my head in disbelief. There was no way I could have done that! I protested. All I did was run with him!

That's when a new voice chimed in. A tall man stepped out from behind a curtain. He was wearing a long white lab coat and a pair of goggles rested upon his gray hair. He introduced himself as a quirk specialist, and said that I may have only ran with him, but I had been running at 1500 mph. That's when it sank in.

He hadn't been struggling to get free. His arms and legs had been hanging limply, and the speed at which we were moving had made it look like he was trying to free himself.

The cars and people hadn't stopped to look at us. They were moving at normal speed. We were just moving so fast that they appeared to be frozen.

The weight of this revelation struck me like a boulder, and I was once again at a loss for words.

"I...have a quirk?" I asked him. The man nodded and smiled.

"Yes young man, you have a quirk. And quite a powerful one at that."

I can't put into words the emotions that I felt when I heard that news. It was like being hit by a huge wave. So many emotions washed over me all at once, I became lost in the sensation. My parents and I sat there, staring at the man in shock. He stared back at us kindly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

The spell was broken when I suddenly burst into tears. After I calmed down, the doctor explained to us that I had always had a quirk, and that I had just never had a reason or opportunity to use it. Without a trigger to manifest my power, it had lain dormant inside of me for two additional years, leading us all to believe that I was as quirkless as the rest of my family. When we asked how it could be that I had a quirk while everyone else in my family was quirkless he simply shrugged.

"Quirks are mysterious things." He said. "We still have no idea what causes them to appear, or what caused them to start appearing in the first place."

The man then explained that further tests were necessary to further establish what my quirk was, but I had to rest and recover before then. As he turned to leave, I asked him what became of Sumisu.

The doctor sighed and turned to me. He said that Sumisu's parents had taken him to another hospital in another town where they had been planning on moving to during the summer. He also said that they wouldn't be pressing charges, as the school administration had video evidence of Sumisu attacking me and Miss Harioka.

Before I could react the doctor turned on his heel and left, leaving my parents and I alone in the hospital room.

Three weeks later I was brought to a special quirk testing facility where they ran a series of tests to determine exactly what my quirk was, as well as test it's limits.

The tests took all day, but at the end of it all my parents and I knew what my power was.

I had a level based quirk which increased my speed and cognitive capability with every increase in level. To put it simply, I get faster and smarter with each level.

My quirk has 10 levels, and my speed and IQ increases with each increase in level. However, with every increase in level, I'm not able to maintain my quirk for as long. Additionally, my body suffers a physical toll with each increase, with level 1 being the mildest and level 7 being the harshest.

Level 1: 45 mph. No huge change in cognitive ability. I'm able to maintain for up to an hour. Afterwards I'm winded and I lose my ability to concentrate.

Level 2: 80 mph. My ability to perform complex equations and judgment in his head improves. Able to maintain for 30 minutes. Can't walk for 30 minutes after, and I develops a headache along with losing my focus.

Level 3: 100 mph. I have complete control over 25% of my brain. Able to maintain for 15 minutes. Can't move at all for an hour afterwards, coupled with minor pain. Bad headache.

Level 4: 200 mph. I have complete control of 33% of my brain. Able to maintain for 7.5 minutes. Muscles begin to deteriorate and my body fails for 6 hours. Severe migraine.

Level 5: 400 mph I have complete control of 45% of my brain. Able to maintain for 3.75 minutes. Body fails for 10 hours coupled with intense pain. Danger of going into shock. At this stage I'm not really capable of coherent thought.

Level 6: 750 mph. I have complete control of 55% of my brain. Able to maintain for 1.5 minutes. Unable to move for one day, and my body experiences pain like fire. Brain shuts down to the bare essentials in order to cool down.

Level 7: 1500 mph. I have complete control of 65% of my brain. Able to maintain for 55 seconds. Complete body shut down for 3 days. Brain effectively shuts down. The only body functions that are preserved are the ones essential to survival.

Levels 8-10: ?

Levels 8-10 are the forbidden levels. The quirk specialists theorized that those last few levels are possible, but the physical toll would be so enormous that permanent damage was extremely likely after using my quirk at that capacity. Additionally, they believe that level 10 would be fatal and they told me to never use my power beyond level 7.

As I left the facility, one doctor handed me a pamphlet and told me that I should read it. He then turned to my parents and said I had a bright future before leaving. I looked down at the pamphlet in my hands and my eyes widened. My eyes traced the outline of the logo that I had seen thousands of times on TV, books, magazines, and other mediums. I looked up and lifted the pamphlet to show my parents.

My mom gasped and covered her mouth and my did grinned and rubbed his eyes fiercely as he gazed upon the U.A. Logo that adorned the cover of the pamphlet.

As I looked at my parents, both of them overcome with pride and joy, I knew what I wanted to do. No, I knew what I had to do.

No matter what, I was going to get into U.A.

And I was going to become a hero.

This is that story.

Bast: Hey guys! Thank you all for reading the first chapter of my story, I hope you all liked it. Please leave a comment if you have any questions, criticisms, or compliments, or feel free to PM me. If you really liked it, please let me know by commenting, messaging me, or following/favoriting the story. Any feedback and support you all give me only inspires me to write more and write better for you all! Thank you again! See you all on the flip side.


	2. The Entrance Exam part 1

_I careened down the dark hallway, crashing into overturned desks and lockers. My breath came fast and jagged, and I gasped with each exhale. My legs felt numb, and my lungs burned like fire. My heart was pounding wildly with fear, and I could hear blood surging through my body. Everything- my heartbeat, my breath, the agonizing cacophony of desks being flipped- sounded so loud that I thought I would go deaf. But I could still hear it behind me…_

 _It snarled and growled in anger as it clawed its way after me, and I could hear its enormous claws clicking against the linoleum floors. The monster stank of decay and rotting meat. I didn't dare turn around to see it... but I knew that if I did I would see the bones of its prey hanging from blood-matted fur. It was so close now that I could feel its warm and putrid breath on my neck as it chased me through the darkened halls of the school._

 _I sobbed in fear and willed leaden legs to move faster. The beast roared and suddenly a line of fire darted across my back and I screamed in agony and fell to my knees. I tried to crawl away, sobbing and choking as warm blood ran down my back and streaked behind me._

 _I screamed again as the beast placed one enormous paw on my back and pushed down, holding me in place and causing my lacerated back to shriek in agony. The monster lowered its head down and I felt its nose nussle the back of my head. I screwed my eyes shut and waited for it to crush me, or snap my neck, or simply eat me alive._

 _It growled again and I felt saliva pour onto the back of my neck and pool on the floor around my face. Suddenly, it spoke in a voice that sounded like broken glass being dragged across concrete...and yet at the same time sounded horrifyingly familiar._

" _ **Quirkless freak.**_ "

 _I screamed then, and the monster roared and buried its snout into my back, snapping and tearing at the exposed flesh beneath the skin._

My eyes flew open and for a moment I could still feel the monster's teeth dragging across my spine and into my flesh. Sweat covered my face and the t-shirt and shorts I had worn as pajamas clung to my body. I lay there panting for a minute, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the gloom of my dark room. As my vision became clearer I sat up and cast my eyes about the room.

I knew that the monster was only a nightmare and that my room was empty except for myself and my things, but I still searched the dark corners of the room, half-convinced that I would see glowing yellow eyes leering hungrily back at me.

My sheets lay in a ball at the foot of my bed, having been thrown off by my wild tossing and turning. I sighed and swung my legs over the side of my bed and checked my watch, which read 5:45. I knew I wouldn't be able to get any more sleep that night, so I stood up and made my way over to my closet.

If I wouldn't be getting any more sleep, then I would just do what I always did in the mornings: run. As I eased the door of my closet open, I stopped and looked at myself in the mirror. I was average height, and although my body was cut with muscle I wasn't what one would call built either. There was no doubt that I was strong, but it was more of a runner's build than a fighter's. It wasn't exactly All Might's physique, but it suited my needs just fine. My brown hair, normally straight, was damp with sweat and mussed from my tossing and turning. I had inherited my parent's brown eyes, my mom's small nose and my dad's defined jawline. I pulled on a black hoodie and a pair of black sweat pants, then grabbed my headphones from my nightstand. I eased my door open slowly, then tiptoed down the hall past my parents' room.

I made my way silently through the apartment, pausing by the door to slip on my running shoes. They were the most expensive thing I owned, and I treated them as such. They were brilliantly white, a stark contrast against my all black outfit. They practically seemed to glow in the early morning gloom. I had ordered them from a custom design website, and when I put them on it felt as if I was running on clouds. After tying them tightly, I made my way silently out of the apartment and down the hall to the stairs and exited the apartment complex.

A jogged around the building once, then stretched and did some ankle mobility exercises. Then, I put my headphones in my ears and set off at a brisk jog down the street. I smiled as Led Zeppelin began to play, setting the tempo perfectly as I left my apartment and the demons that lurked there behind.

XXXXXXX

' _There's that kid again.'_ I thought. I had been running for about 30 minutes along my usual route on the beach when I saw him. The boy was shirtless, and his green hair dripped with sweat as he ran up and down the beach, hauling garbage out of the sand and dropping it at the feet of some scrawny guy with blond hair.

I had started seeing the kid and his companion about 10 months ago, and everyday as I ran I saw him down on the beach clearing out the garbage. The first time I saw him down there I thought he was crazy. The amount of garbage that needed to be cleared had seemed insurmountable, and I believed that he would give up after a couple days.

But I was wrong. As the days turned to weeks and the weeks to months, I couldn't help but be amazed by his work ethic. Like me, he was out there every morning cleaning the beach. And a year later, it seemed that he was finally done.

I grinned as he hefted the last piece of litter out of the sand and chucked it away. The kid paused for a moment, his arms dangling at his sides. Then, he lifted his fists to the sky and yelled victoriously. He struck quite a figure, his body outlined by the sunrise peaking up over the waves. I was halfway tempted to go over and congratulate him, but I had to get back.

So, I turned on my heel and took off back the way I came. I ran faster and faster until I began to feel my quirk begin to activate, its power spreading through my body like ice through my veins. But I held it back, willing myself to go faster without its help. In a way it was a mental as well as a physical battle as I concentrated on keeping myself from using my power while willing myself to go faster and faster.

The streets and buildings were a blur as I ran, and even though I felt like I was flying, I didn't feel tired at all. I only felt exhilarated and I whooped as I pushed myself even faster. I could feel my quirk struggling against my will even more then, and I forced myself to slow down. Gradually, I felt my power fade away and I sighed.

I would have liked to go all out and really chase away the last remnants of my nightmare, but I needed to be fresh today. I needed my brain to be operating at maximum efficiency today.

Today I would be taking the U.A. entrance exam. A surge of emotions passed through me as I thought that and I shivered slightly.

It had been a long road getting to this point. Ever since I decided all those years ago to become a hero, my life had been completely devoted to getting into U.A. When I left school in the second grade after my incident with Sumisu, I had been a quirkless kid. I was averagely athletic, got average grades, and was pretty much average in every way.

When school started up again and I went into the third grade, my classmates were shocked to see what I had become. Not only did I now have far and away the most powerful quirk in the class, but I put a new meaning to the term "hard work". I studied my ass off, and I enjoyed the fruits of my labor in the form of perfect grades. Over the years I became the star of my school, and it was generally accepted that I would be the one applying to attend U.A. for High School.

It's been hard, and I had to make a lot of sacrifices to get where I am today, but it was all worth it. Even if I don't get into U.A., my hard work has given me the privilege of being able to go to basically any other prestigious High School that I wanted to. But I had no interest in any other schools. All I cared about was U.A.

Before I knew it I was back in front of my apartment complex. I did a cool down lap around the building and a few more stretches, then made my way inside.

My nose twitched as I padded down the hall to my apartment and I breathed deeply.

' _Mom's making breakfast.'_ I thought with a grin. As I opened the door to my family's apartment I breathed in deeply again, savoring the smell of eggs over rice and crackling bacon. My Mom looked up from the stove as I made my way inside and smiled at me.

"Good morning Kokuree!" She said. "You were sure up early this morning."

"Yeah, I woke up super early and couldn't fall back to sleep." I replied, sliding onto a stool by the island.

"Nerves?"

"Yeah, and a bad dream."

"A bad dream? Do you want to talk about it? It's not good for you to be carrying a bad dream around, especially today."

"No don't worry mom, I'm fine." I said with a noncommittal wave. "It was just a regular old nightmare, nothing major." My mother didn't reply immediately, and for a moment I thought she would press the issue.

But then she smiled again and set a helping of breakfast in front of me.

"Alright then!" She said. "Eat up, you need plenty of brainfood for the entrance exam." I smiled and grabbed my utensils.

"Yes ma'am!" I said. "Looks great, thank you!" My mom smiled and kissed the top of my head as I tucked into the meal. I moment later my dad emerged bleary eyed from my parent's room.

"Morning Kokuree," he yawned. "Did you have a good run?" I nodded and swallowed the bite of eggs and rice in my mouth.

"Good morning dad." I replied. "My run was good; the sunset was beautiful today. Wish I could have gotten a picture." My dad smiled and took a seat next to me.

"Did you boost?" He asked.

"No, I made sure not to." I answered. "Boosting" was what we called it whenever I activated my quirk. Initially I wanted something cooler sounding, but now I've come to accept and love the name of my quirk.

My dad nodded.

"Good. You need to be fresh today." He accepted a steaming mug of tea from my mom and the two smiled at each other before looking back at me.

"Kokuree," my mom began. "We just want you to know how unbelievably proud of you we are. You've worked so hard, and we're so happy that you're our son." My dad smiled and nodded.

"We hope you know that we love you, and no matter what happens today that will never change." My dad continued. "You're going to do great today, and there is no doubt in my mind that you're going to be a great hero someday."

I smiled, touched at my parents' sudden display of affection. I set down my utensils and got up to give them a hug. We stayed there for a moment, enjoying the love that we were each giving each other.

My dad grunted and pulled away, glancing at the clock on the wall.

"You should get going soon Kokuree, don't want to be late for the exam." He said.

"Yeah you're right." I agreed. I shoveled a few more enormous bites down then hustled to the shower. After a quick rinse and a change of clothes I felt like I was ready to take on anything, any last shreds of the nightmare purged from my brain by a mental review of scholarly topics and hero-related facts.

As I made my way to the door my parents stopped me and gathered me into one last hug. My mother was sniffling softly and as we pulled apart I saw tears glisten in her eyes. She smiled and kissed my forehead.

"Good luck hero." She said. I felt my own eyes start to dampen slightly and I smiled back.

"Thanks mom." My dad stepped up and clapped me on the shoulder.

"You've got this." He said. "Go show that school who the next big hero is."

"Thanks dad." I turned away quickly so my parents couldn't see the tears that had begun to gather in my eyes. "I'll call you after the exam, I'm probably going to need a ride home." I pulled open the door and with one last wave made my way to the elevator.

XXXXXXX

"Holy crap…" I breathed in amazement. I had seen the school at least a hundred times, but never in person. U.A. was massive, with a beautiful campus full of trees and perfectly groomed grass and flowers. The building where classes took place was a grand structure of glass and steel, and it was hard to believe that high schoolers occupied it. It looked more suited for government work, or as a monument to some eccentric and brilliant architect.

I stood there staring at it for a few moments, soaking in every window and edge. Even the air smelled cleaner, as if it was cleaned by the very presence of so many pro heros. The morning sun caused the building to glitter like a sapphire and I felt my jaw drop. It was far and away the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. I was shocked out of my revelry as someone jostled me, and I stumbled a bit.

"Watch where you're standing, dork," The kid who jostled me growled. He had white hair that stuck up in spikes, and he glared at me with hard, mean eyes before scoffing and walking away.

For a moment I was tempted to go after him, but I forced the thought away. The last thing I needed was to get thrown out before taking the exam. Besides, in a way he was right; I needed to hustle to the testing room.

' _I can admire U.A. after I get in'_ I thought. With that thought in my head and a confident smile on my face, I strode into U.A., another potential hero desperate for a chance at greatness.

XXXXX

' _I'm totally screwed.'_ I moaned inwardly. I sat shoulder to shoulder with a group of other prospects in the back of a U.A. bus. We were on our way to Battle Center B for the practical portion of the exam. I looked around, studying the students I would be competing against. Some seemed calm and collected, others were fired up. The former sat still, their breathing even and their hands lying calmly in their laps or their arms folded. The latter couldn't sit still. They cracked their knuckles or bounced their leg and would occasionally grin for no reason.

The rest of us applicants were heaped into a third category: the nervous bunch. We all had anxious expressions on our faces, and we sighed frequently. Some rubbed their eyes frequently. Others shifted in their seats, trying and failing to get comfortable. I sat still in my seat, holding my stomach. I breathed deeply to try to dispel the mounting nausea and panic that had settled in my gut, to no avail.

As I looked around, my eyes settled on one kid in particular, and I exhaled sharply. It was the same kid that I had seen cleaning the beach. He looked ready to puke, his face the same green color as his hair. He was holding a hand to his mouth and was bent far forward. It looked like anxiety was hitting him the hardest, but I felt like I was a close second.

' _What am I going to do?'_ I thought. ' _I thought for sure they'd have the written exam before the practical. It makes no sense for them to organize the test this way. What if kids get hurt during the practical? Are they then just not allowed to take the written portion? That very well might be the case; they wouldn't allow kids in their school if they couldn't handle a couple basic bad guys from an entrance exam. What am I going to do?'_

I knew I could take on a couple of two-bit villains, that wasn't what I was worried about. No, it was the written exam that was freaking me out, particularly the fact that it comes after the practical. This set up put me at a severe handicap. My quirk is powerful, but the toll it takes on me is intense. If I boosted during the practical, not only would my body suffer, but my brain would also take a hit. Because of the exam set up, I would only be able to boost up to level 4, and even going that fast would be a huge risk, as the severe migraine that would come later would be a massive hinderance to my test taking ability. So now I couldn't wow the examiners with my quirk by going all out, and my written score was going to suffer regardless of how little I boosted.

I slumped in my seat, dejected. I didn't have a clue how I was going to pull this off. All I could do was hope that the other kids around me were really weak, and would get even lower scores than I was going to get.

It seemed like the bus ride over to the Battle Center took hours, and by the time we all stepped out of the bus I was no closer to a solution to my problem. We all milled around the huge set of gates, eager but nervous. No one spoke too much, we were all too focused on ourselves. With nothing better to do, I began to stretch my legs. The last thing I needed was to pull a muscle.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw that green haired kid start to make his way over to a brown haired girl before being pulled aside by another boy with glasses. I whistled softly.

' _That kid's calves are massive.'_ I thought appreciatively. Then my jaw dropped as he turned around. ' _Are those exhaust pipes sticking out of his legs?'_

"Right, let's start!" A chipper voice boomed. We all looked up to the tower where the proctors would be watching the exam from. My eyes landed on the very top of the tower and came to rest on Present Mic, the pro hero who had conducted orientation.

"Get moving!" Present Mic yelled. "There are no countdowns in real battles! Run run run listeners, we're wasting air time here!"

Nobody moved for a moment, all of us frozen at the sudden declaration. I exhaled softly and bent my knees into a starting stance. It was time. I couldn't afford to hesitate. I couldn't allow doubt to slow me down. I had trained for eight years for this day. Now was the time to show U.A. what I was capable of. I licked my lips and felt the icy ball of anxiety that had settled in my gut melt away.

As the other kids began to move into the city I felt the corners of my mouth tug upwards.

"Boost."

 **Bast: Hey guys! First of all, HOLY ****! I did not expect to get as much support from the first chapter as I did. You guys are all amazing, you make my life. Seriously, thank you all so much. You guys really inspired me, and I'm going to try to update the story as often as possible for you all. I'm also going to start addressing all the comments I get, which I'll do now.**

 **PuzzlingPazuru: Thank you! I'm glad you liked the backstory and the quirk, I was worried about making the quirk too OP, but I think I found a happy in between.**

 **Vgn Golley: Thanks, glad you liked it!**

 **TheGhostofAnime: Thank you, I hope this update lived up to your expectations.**

 **Madman Murphy: Thank you for your comment. I'm glad you appreciated the grammatical structure of the piece. It's a pain to sift through the quantity of poorly written stories to try to find the good ones, so I always try to focus on making my writing as grammatically strong as possible. I'm glad you also commented about making sure not to sideline Izuku. I'll do my damndest not to. I'm hoping to establish Kokuree's story such that it integrates and flows with Izuku's.**

 **Once again, thank you all for all your comments and support. I hope you all keep showing support for the story. See you all on the flip side.**


	3. The Entrance Exam part 2

"Boost." That single word had become the ignition for my quirk, and as soon as I uttered it I felt it flow through my body. The surge of power raced through my body and I took off at a run, quickly passing my competitors as I sped into the fake city.

' _Alright let's start at level 1 and watch for now.'_ I thought. ' _No need to try to go all out from the start. Just gather data on the targets first.'_

I made a sharp left turn and crouched behind a dumpster, waiting for the other candidates to catch up. After a few moments they began to run by. At the same time, a low hum began to fill the air. Most of the other kids sensed it too and stopped, looking around in confusion. That's when the first villains showed up.

The street began to vibrate and the low hum became a loud roar of machinery as dozens of massive green robots began to pour in from other streets and alleys. A few of the bigger ones even came through buildings, smashing their way through plaster and glass. Each of the robots had a number painted on them, ones being the smallest, threes the biggest, and twos in between.

A battle cry went up from the group of students, and they all eagerly began to engage the enemy. It only took a few seconds for the street to become a warzone as the ground became littered with sparking robots, shreds of clothes, and blood. I hung back, observing. After a minute or so, I grinned and ran off to find my own prey.

It didn't take long for a one-pointer to come to a screeching halt in front of me, its single red eye staring coldly at me.

"Target acquired." The machine beeped. It then raised one giant arm and swung at me, deceptively fast despite its size. But I was ready.

As the villain raised its arm I was already moving, boosting up to level 2 and accelerating to 80 mph. Its swipe would have sent me flying, had it connected. Instead, the robot hit nothing but air as I ran behind it.

"I noticed a few things about you machines earlier," I said to the robot.

"First, you all may be big, but you can't process quick movements as fast as humans can. That puts you at a disadvantage against quirks like mine." The one-pointer tried to turn around to take another swing at me, but I sped around it and stopped behind it again.

"Second, I noticed a girl with some kind of anti-gravity quirk raise a bunch of you in the air. She didn't go all that high, but when you hit the ground you all shattered like glass. That means-!" I ran a little away from the robot, then sprinted back and aimed a diving double-legged kick at the joint where the machine's single wheel connected to its chassis. As the blow landed, the screeching of metal filled the air as the mechanism connected the wheel to the robot snapped and the machine collapsed on its side.

"That means that despite your size, you guys aren't really that strong. The metal you're built with is weak and can easily be broken. Based on the resonance of the metal, the thickness of the armor, and the ease with which it breaks, I'd say that you all are made from bauxite ore… otherwise know as aluminum."

"Target acquired." The one-pointer responded, struggling to right itself. I jumped nimbly on top of it and leaned in close to its red eye.

"Lastly," I began, lifting my leg up. "You guys all have one weak spot...your heads." I drove my leg down onto its head at 80 mph. It crumpled with the same ease as stepping on a soda can would, and as its head collapsed the machine went limp, its engine falling silent and its arms falling to the street.

I jumped down from the robot and exhaled, shaking out my legs and arms.

"One point." I said. I looked at the sparking husk of the one-pointer and felt a surge of pride. I could do this. If all these machines were as weak as this one then this would be a piece of cake. The street began to vibrate again and I turned to look down the main street. Dozens of robots rolled by to engage the group of students fighting in the center of the city. A few of them stopped and looked at me, then broke off and rushed me.

I grinned and let them come.

As the first machine, a two-pointer, reached me I took off, darting to the side. It tried to intercept me, but as I calculated it was moving too fast and as it tried to follow me it tipped and fell on its side. Metal screeched and the engine roared angrily as the robot struggled to right itself in the moment it had before I crushed its head beneath my foot.

The next two, both 3-pointers, spread out and tried to attack me from both sides. I dove to the side as they both swung their arms to hammer me into a red spot of grease on the concrete. I rolled and came up into a crouch as the machines swung their heads around to glare at me.

They came at me again, their glassy red eyes filled with cold hate. I ran straight at the one on my right, counting the steps in my head as I ran. The 3-pointer wound up and took a swing at me, but I timed its swing perfectly and jumped on its arm once it came close enough. I took off like a shot up its arm, stopping right in front of its eye. I pressed my back up against it, blocking its view.

As I thought, the machine froze once it lost its sight, its systems unsure of how to proceed. The other 3-pointer, however, was in perfect working order. It sent a massive green fist flying at its target, unable to stop itself as I dove off the side of my commandeered villain. Its blow connected with the head of its compatriot, sending it flying in an explosion of sparks and shattered metal. The 3-pointer collapsed in a pile of broken metal, its corpse sparking. I put the traitorous machine out of its metallic misery with a well aimed kick to its neck.

"9 points now." I murmured, looking around for more villains. With no more baddies in sight, I took off towards the center of the city where the most fighting was taking place. I destroyed as many machines on my way as I could, crushing their heads or disabling them while they were focused on other candidates. As I rounded the corner to the center, I saw a 3 pointer bearing down on the anti-gravity girl I had noticed earlier in the contest.

She was holding her stomach and seemed too preoccupied to notice the villain that was about to squash her. I planted one foot and skid to a stop, then took off towards the machine. I pushed myself to go faster as it raised its arm, preparing itself to deliver the final blow. I dove and landed a flying kick on its torso, knocking it off balance and causing it to miss the girl. Without missing a beat, I turned neatly and scurried up its side, knocking off the machine's head and sending it flying like a soccer ball.

The girl smiled weakly at me as I lept down from the dead villain.

"Thanks for the save," She said. "You couldn't have come at a better time."

"No worries," I replied with a cool little wave. "Good luck in the rest of the fight." She returned my statement as I sped off to find more robots to kill.

The next minute flew by as I ran and kicked my way through several more enemies, increasing my point total to a comfortable 33. I stopped and leaned against a building, catching my breath and giving my aching feet a chance to rest. It didn't matter that the machines were only made of aluminum. Kick a solid piece of metal a few times and your feet are bound to start aching, regardless of how weak the metal itself is.

I smiled as I felt my quirk return the strength to my legs and I pushed off the building, scanning for my next victim. Suddenly, I felt the ground begin to rumble. Some of the other candidates cheered and got themselves ready, thinking that the rumbling was just another wave of baddies on their way.

I frowned. There was something off about this rumbling. I knelt down and pressed my ear to the ground, then lept to my feet in surprise.

' _It's too uniform.'_ I thought worriedly. ' _This isn't a lot of small somethings...'_

The streets filled with shadow as a massive outline blocked out the sun overhead. A few kids screamed and began to run away. I looked up, craning my neck back to take in the new threat.

'... _It's one big something.'_ The 0-pointer was enormous, almost comically big. It towered over the buildings, regarding us the way a human would regard a group of ants. It began to rumble towards us, a massive set of treads carrying its enormous bulk towards us. I didn't hesitate, I knew what I had to do.

I turned and ran the other way.

There was nothing I could do to stop that thing. Hell, I doubted there was anything anyone could do against it. It would take a team of veteran heros to bring that monstrosity down. Or All Might himself.

I glanced over my shoulder to make sure I was putting enough distance between myself and the 0-pointer and nearly tumbled to the ground. I regained my balance and whirled around, convinced that my eyes were playing tricks on me. But as I took in the scene arrayed in front of me it became clear that what I was seeing was really happening.

The small kid with the unruly green hair was sprinting towards the 0-pointer, his face a mask of fear and determination.

"Hey wait!" I called out, raising my arm. I tensed, getting ready to boost again to try to save him. I sank into a runners stance, estimating the distance between him and I. Then I fell on my ass as the kid jumped like a rocket, the force of the leap sending a shockwave towards us. I stared up at the kid, my mouth hanging open in shock as he flew up to the machine's enormous head.

"Smaaaaaaaash!" I heard him yell. Then, with a punch like a clap of thunder, he knocked the 0-pointer off its treads and sent it flying. The head caved in and exploded, then the rest of the machine's torso went up with it.

We all stared, dumbfounded. Everyone was at a total loss for words. That little and awkward kid had just destroyed that machine with a single punch. It was unbelievable. All I could do was follow him with my eyes as he plummeted to the ground, his arm and legs trailing behind him.

' _Broken.'_ My enhanced brain assessed. ' _The recoil from that jump and punch must have broken the bones in his legs and arm. He'll die from falling from that high up if no one saves him.'_ I tried to move, but I was still frozen in shock and awe. All I could do was watch helplessly as the kid fell from the sky.

At the last moment, I felt my body relax and I darted forward to try to catch him.

But even as began to move, I knew I was too late. I was simply too far away. I reached forward helplessly and watched as the kid closed the final few yards to the ground

"Boos-" I started to say, leaping forward.

With a hard slap, the anti-gravity girl stopped his fall and released him gently to the ground before collapsing herself and vomiting. I came to a skidding stop in front of them, sending a shower of pebbles and pieces of metal onto them.

"Are you guys alright?" I asked, looking back and forth at the two. The girl raised her hand in a trembling thumbs-up. I turned my attention to the boy, who had begun to use his one good arm to drag himself along the ground.

"Just...one...point." He groaned. I stared at him incredulously. All that power and he didn't have a single point?

"TIME'S UP!" Present Mic yelled. Everyone relaxed as the robots shut down, the exam over. The green haired kid looked up, his mouth quivering and his eyes filling with tears. Then, his eyes rolled up into his head and he fainted, his head falling limply to the pavement.

Gradually, the other candidates made their way over and stood in a loose circle around the kid. I could faintly hear the other kids murmuring amongst themselves, discussing what had just taken place. I vaguely heard them ponder the strength of the attack, and the reasons for him having so much power and yet having no points.

I knelt down next to the kid and reached for his arm, trying to assess how bad the damage to his body was.

"Please don't touch him!" A voice crooned. I stopped and stood up quickly, searching for the source of the voice. I looked down to see a small old woman smiling up at me. She was wearing a big blue visor that stretched across her face and a pair of yellow sanitation gloves. Her gray hair was tied up in a tight bun, and she had what looked like a syringe stuck in her hair. She was using an enormous syringe as a cane.

"I'm sorry ma'am," I said sheepishly. The old woman smiled and patted my hand.

"That's quite alright dear." She said. "Just leave this boy to me, I'll fix him right up." I stepped to the as she made her way past me and bent over the boy. Then, to our collective disgust, she puckered up and kissed him on the top of his head.

Immediately, the boy's arm and legs began to glow green and they moved on their own as the broken bones and torn ligaments healed and righted themselves. It was a pretty amazing sight, watching months of healing take place in the span of a few seconds.

Less than 30 seconds later, the kid was totally healed and was being carried off on a stretcher to the Nurse's office/temporary surgical facility. We all stood and watched him go, still somewhat shell-shocked. Present Mic soon shocked us out of our stupor.

"Alright candidates!" His voice boomed. "Please make your way to the exits and onto your buses. We're going to take a short commercial break, then we'll be back with the written portion of your entrance exam! Excellent work all of you, Plus Ultra!"

As his voice cut out, I trudged to the exit. I had released my quirk, and I was left feeling drained. Luckily I had only boosted up to level 2, so the headache wasn't too bad and would dissipate fairly quickly. The fatigue would be annoying during the exam, but I was confident I could power through it. For now all I could do was get on the bus and wait.

"Hey, wait up!" I turned and saw the anti-gravity girl jogging towards me.

"I just wanted to thank you again for saving me," she said. Then she stuck out her hand and grinned. "I'm Uchaco Uraraka, what's your name?"

I took her hand and shook.

"Nice to meet you Uraraka, I'm Kokuree Shiamasu." We let our hands fall to our sides and we made our way over to the bus.

"That was a pretty crazy exam huh?" She said.

"Yeah," I replied. "That last big robot at the end was totally insane. Someone could have died."

"That someone was almost me." She whispered.

"What?!" I exclaimed.

"Yeah, I was stuck under some rubble. If it hadn't been for that green-haired kid, I probably would have gotten squished by that thing."

"Wow..." Was all I could say. We walked in silence for a couple seconds, each of us deep in thought.

"Well," She began. "Good luck on the written exam! Hopefully we both get in."

"Thanks, you too." I watched her go, then climbed aboard the bus.

' _Why can't all girls be that nice?'_

XXXXXXXXXXX

A week passed since the entrance exam, and I had never felt so low in my life. After we made it back to U.A., we only had a 20 minute interlude before starting the written portion of the exam. I got off to a really rocky start. Because of my quirk, I was in a fog for the first 15 minutes of the exam, and it was all I could do to answer the most basic of questions. After my brain recovered a bit I was able to tackle the test as best I could, but it was still an extremely difficult exam. The questions were challenging and creative. They forced me to think and ponder every possible solution before settling on an answer.

I didn't even finish.

As the week went on I checked, rechecked, and triple checked my work for whatever questions I could remember. By my own calculations, I had maybe barely passed the written exam. All I could do was hope that I had scored enough points in the mock fight to get accepted.

All I could think about was U.A. I went to school, but nothing sank in. Most of the time I didn't even lift my pencil or write any notes. I worked out, but my heart wasn't in it. My parents tried to cheer me up by cooking my favorite foods, but it all tasted like sand.

Every night as I lay awake, I relived every moment of the entrance exam. I groaned at all the things that I could have done better, all the questions that stumped me. But most of all, I cursed myself for not standing out more. I may have done well, but I was basic. Cookie-cutter. Boring.

Not like that green haired kid. He may not have gotten any points, but he sure as hell stood out. I wasn't sure how, but my gut told me that he would be getting into U.A.

I didn't get much sleep that week.

Finally, on the 7th day after the entrance exam, it came.

I opened the door to my apartment and trudged in, letting my backpack slide off my back to the floor. I kicked off my shoes and looked up to see me parents huddled near each other in the kitchen. They were staring at me, looking guilty, excited, and more than anything, anxious. My dad cleared his throat and held something out to me.

At first I didn't even realize what it was. When I saw the raised seal of U.A. on the envelope, all I could do was stare at it dumbly.

"This-" My dad's voice cracked and he coughed. "This came for you today Kokuree." The envelope trembled in his hands. I just kept staring at it. I had dreamed and agonized over this moment for so long. But now that it was here, I just couldn't bring myself to open the letter.

A wave of nausea hit me and I felt myself start to sweat. I just couldn't bring myself to take the letter. I was too afraid of what it might say. I trembled slightly.

My mother stepped forward and took the letter from my father.

"Would you like us to open it dear?" She asked. "I know how nerve-wracking this must be for you."

"No!" I cried, lunging forward and taking the letter from my mother. I clutched it to my chest and struggled to get my heart rate under control.

"I'll open it." I said. With shaking fingers, I lifted the letter. I ran my fingers lightly over the envelope, trying to memorize every last millimeter of the U.A. stationary. I flipped the letter over and delicately lifted the back flap of the envelope.

I hesitated for a moment, looking up at my parents. They nodded encouragingly. I gulped and tried to smile, but it came out as a weak grimace.

Slowly, I drew out the letter from the envelope and unfolded it. My parent watched as my eyes darted across the page. My mother held her hands to her chest and my father held the back of a chair with a white-knuckled grip.

My mother gasped a little as I suddenly looked up from the page. Tears welled in my eyes as I held the page aloft triumphantly, a massive grin spreading across my face. My father exhaled violently and my mother sobbed softly, tears of joy pouring down her face.

"I got in…" I whispered, pure joy written across my face. All at once, the magnitude of what I had just read hit me and I felt my knees buckle. I smiled at my parents, their expressions of joy turning into masks of shock as my eyes closed and I fainted, the smile still on my face as I collapsed to the floor.

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait, I didn't have that much time to write this week because of finals. Anyway, thank you all again so so so so so much for all the support you guys are all giving this story. It just absolutely boggles my mind how many people like Boosted. You guys are all so friggin awesome. Anyway, thank you all so much for reading this chapter, please leave a review if you have any comments or criticisms, and if you really enjoy the story please follow or favorite it. Again, you guys are all amazing and I'm so lucky that you all like my writing.**

 **Saint Danielle: I already PM-ed you, so you already know how much your comment meant to me. Thanks again!**

 **Oh, quick announcement. Unfortunately, I'm going to be away for the next week so the next update is going to be a little late. Rest assured, I'll do my best to write as much as I can while I'm away so that I can get that next chapter out for you all. See you on the flipside.**


	4. Not a Normal Test part 1

After receiving my U.A. acceptance letter, I was on top of the world. My parents and I were ecstatic, and U.A. was all we could think about. The two weeks before my first day were a whirlwind of celebratory meals, shopping for brand new school supplies, and taking care of the logistical side of attending the school.

We mailed in hard copies of all my school paperwork, faxed in additional copies, and I saved copies for myself so that I could bring them in on the first day: just in case. My parents told all of their friends that I had gotten into U.A., and I basked in a constant flow of congratulations and praise. Even my school made big deal of it, and the principal held a school assembly congratulating me for being one of the first kids from my school to be accepted in U.A.'s hero course. Were we all going a little overboard? Perhaps. But we didn't care; all that mattered was that I was well and truly on my way to becoming a pro.

Before I knew it the two weeks were over and it was the first day of school. I practically trampled my parents getting out the door I was so excited. As I rode the train to the campus I bounced up and down in my seat. I was so full of excitement and nervous energy that I felt like I might explode. If I was alone on the train, there was a good chance that I would jump up and start dancing or running, just to try to release some of the excess energy. Unfortunately, the car was occupied by other passengers, so all I could do was sit there and fantasize about what my first day would be like, and reflect on the events of this morning.

The former put a smile on my face and I imagined all the amazing people I would meet today. I would be surrounded by people just like me: powerful and brilliant people who wanted to become pros. Thinking about it send chills up my spine and my body crackled with excitement and joy like electricity.

The latter made me sink down a little in my seat and twisted my stomach into knots. While I was overjoyed that it was the first day, the morning hadn't gotten off to a phenomenal start. I woke up early and went for a run, just like always. It had rained the night before, and the early morning air smelled clean and fresh. Puddles and dew from the rain had begun to evaporate by the time I hit the streets, and it felt like I was running through a cloud as I made my way through the early morning fog. But, as I was running back home, I stepped on a wet leaf and my left foot slid out a little too far. I didn't fall down and I wasn't hurt, but in the split second my foot began to slide I felt my left hamstring pull and tighten just a tiny bit.

I regained my balance and continued on my way, but as I sat there on the train I unconsciously began to massage it. I wasn't in any pain, but it just didn't feel exactly right. Additionally, I was worried by what my parents had told me when I got back from my run.

As I walked in the door, my parents stopped me by the door and told me that my grandparents had sent me a letter congratulating me on getting into U.A. When they told me that I tensed up, and my parents smiled nervously at me.

We had never told my grandparents that I had developed a quirk. Seeing that they despised quirks, my parents and I agreed not to tell them. They may have been a little backwards and ignorant on their views of quirks, but in every other regard they were really great people. They loved my father, their son, very much and they treated both me and my mother with the same love they gave him. They were smart, caring, and loved watching their family succeed.

It would have broken my father's heart if they had cut us out of the family, and I would have died of guilt if I was the cause of that happening. So, we kept my power a secret from them. We told the rest of my family about it and they agreed to help keep my secret.

When my parents and I told them that I would be applying to U.A., we told them that I was going to apply to the general studies course. U.A. may be most famous for its incredible hero course, but it was also nationally renowned for its courses in general studies, support, and business. That way we could let them know that I was attending U.A. without revealing that I had a quirk.

I felt awful lying to them, but I knew in my heart that it was the right course of action. Despite their flaws, I loved them both and I didn't want to put their relationship with my family in danger. It goes without saying that I had to be careful though. One misstep and they would discover my power, so I had to be cautious at all times.

And that's how I spent my first train ride to U.A.: a conduit of excitement and anxiety. These two emotions combined made for an interesting sensation, but as I left the train station and began to walk up the hill to U.A., all of those feelings were swept away by an overpowering feeling of pride.

No longer would I look at U.A. as an outsider. No longer would I have to dream of walking those halls as a student. No longer would I lay awake at night, paralyzed by the fear of not getting accepted. I was now officially a part of the hero academia, and I was on my way to becoming a hero.

My heart soared as I reached the crest of the hill and U.A. came into view.

' _Hey there U.A.'_ I thought with a grin. ' _Did you miss me?'_ Luckily for my sanity, the building didn't respond and I chuckled softly as I headed into my new school.

Thanks to a little bit of help from the employees at the front desk, it didn't take me too long to find my homeroom class: class 1-A. I hesitated outside of the enormous classroom door. A hurricane of last minute doubts, fears, and fantasies roared in my brain and I couldn't quite bring myself to open the door.

' _What if I'm not good enough to keep up with these kids?'_

' _What if the classes are too hard and I flunk out?'_

' _What if all the kids behind this door are monsters?'_

' _What if I don't make any friends?'_

' _What if there are no cute girls?'_

' _What if there are no girls at all?'_

' _What if what if what if-'_

I mentally slapped myself and squeezed my fists, calming the howling storm building up inside me. I couldn't afford to doubt myself now. If I wanted to have any chance of succeeding at U.A., then I needed to have my wits about me. So, I took a deep breath, reached forward, and pushed back the door to my future.

The hum of conversation died a little bit as my classmates paused to regard me. I suddenly felt horribly exposed, and I prayed that my clothes were all on correctly and my hair wasn't sticking up. I gave a small wave and smiled nervously.

"H-hi." I said. A chorus of muttered greetings reverberated through the room, and the other students returned to their conversations or just looked away, already bored with me.

"Greetings!" A loud voice said. I turned my head to see a boy with short blue hair and glasses purposely striding towards me. I recognized him from the entrance exam, he was the kid who had chastised the green haired kid during the entrance exam.

"I am Tenya Iida from Soumei Junior High School! It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Uh yeah...likewise." I replied, shaking his hand. ' _Holy crap he's crushing my hand!'_ I wiggled my hand free and took a half step back.

"My name is Kokuree Shiamasu." Iida nodded vigorously.

"Yes I remember you from the entrance exam."

"You do?" I asked, my lips tugging upwards in a smile. ' _He must remember how awesome I was during the mock-fight.'_

"Yes." Iida began. "You were the one who took 15 minutes to write down a single thing on the written exam." I died a little inside as Iida said that, my smile contorting into a grimace. I hung my head in shame.

"Oh…" I murmured. I stood rooted to the spot, paralyzed with shame, as Iida moved around me to greet another student who had just walked in. My body moved on its own, dragging me to an empty desk. I flopped down into the seat and tried to come to terms with the fact that I hadn't even been in class for a minute and already one of my classmates thought I was dumb. I banged my head on the desk, fervently wishing I was dead.

"Tough break man," A voice said. I lifted my head up to regard the boy who had addressed me. I was greeted by the welcome sight of a red-haired boy giving me toothy grin. He was lounging in the seat to my left, his bag hanging from the corner of the chair. "That sucks that Iida called you out like that."

"Yeah it does," I sighed, exasperated at the memory but ecstatic that someone was still willing to talk to me after the colossal fail that was my conversation with Iida. "It's not that I'm dumb, it was just because of my quirk."

The kid raised an eyebrow. "Your quirk makes you dumb?"

"No!" I said quickly, waving my hands in front of my face. I froze, horrified that I was being so dramatic and I thrust my hands into my pockets.

"My quirk doesn't make me dumb." I began, calmer this time. "It's just that after I use it I need a little time to recover."

"Oh, good to know." The kid replied, shaking his head thoughtfully. "It'll be easier to beat you in a fight now that I know your weakness." The kid stared dead at me, and I stared right back, my face a mask of confusion and uncertainty. I opened and closed my mouth like a fish, but no words came out.

Suddenly the kid slammed his hand on the desk and threw his head back, laughter erupting from his mouth.

"Wowee you should have seen your face!" The kid laughed. "You looked like a scared little guppy! You gotta lighten up dude; I was only kidding." The kid stuck out a fist and grinned. "I'm Eijiro Kirishima, sorry to scare you like that."

' _Oh. He was only kidding.'_ I laughed nervously and bumped fists. "You really got me there man. I'm Kokuree Shiamasu." Kirishima smiled and and stuck his thumb at the kid to his left, a blond boy with a weird black zig zag in his hair.

"This guy's Denki Kaminari. He's pretty nice, but he's probably the ugliest dude I've ever seen."

"Very funny Kirishima." Kaminari said. "I can introduce myself you know."

"Nah, where's the fun in that?" Kirishima replied. I laughed and felt my body relax. This was much better, just talking with a couple of guys. And they seemed normal, unlike that Iida kid, who was now yelling at…

' _Him!'_ There, behind me and and to my left sat the same whitish-blond kid who had pushed me at the entrance exam. He had his feet up on the desk and was mouthing off, a sneer plastered on his face. I cracked my knuckles and turned back around, staring forward rigidly.

' _You don't need to say anything. It was just a little nudge, and it happened weeks ago.'_ I thought. ' _He probably doesn't even remember me. I just need to let it go. If we're going to be classmates, then we need to have a good relationship with each other.'_ Despite my inner pep-talk, I could still feel the first seeds of dislike taking root in my gut as the door opened and the last student walked in.

I grinned as I recognized who it was: the green-haired kid from the beach and entrance exam. He was gripping his backpack straps so hard his hands shook, and he looked ready to soil himself when he saw Iida and the whitish-blond yelling at each other. He squeaked softly when Iida began to stride towards him.

"Yes I already know who you are!" He said to Iida. "I'm Izuku Midoriya, it's very nice to meet you."

' _So, his name is Midoriya.'_ I thought to myself. Midoriya scanned the classroom quickly and as his eyes passed over me I thought I saw a spark of recognition in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but was distracted by another voice announcing her arrival. I grinned when I saw who it was, relieved that there was another familiar face. The anti-gravity girl stood in the doorway and began to chatter excitedly to Midoriya, swinging her fist up and down like she was punching something.

Midoriya turned red as a beet and turned to hide his face as the anti-gravity girl continued to bombard him, clearly unsure of how to handle himself around the cute girl. After a moment Iida nudged them to their seats, and they broke off their, albeit one-sided, conversation. I gave her a small friendly wave as she took a seat in the front row. She grinned and waved back. I felt all warm inside and breathed a sigh of relief, glad that she remembered me.

My silent celebration was interrupted by the door sliding back. I straightened up in my seat and folded my hands in my lap. I knew that all the desks were filled, which could only mean that the teacher was walking in. I looked at the door expectantly, waiting for the teacher to heroically stride in: all muscle and righteousness. Instead, with a soft swishing sound, a person in a yellow sleeping bag inched into the room like a caterpillar. The class murmured to each other softly as a disheveled looking man crawled out of the sleeping bag and got to his feet. He leered at us behind a curtain of black, greasy hair with bloodshot eyes. He had a had a patchy mustache and goatee, which looked more like he had forgotten to shave this morning than an intentional cosmetic decision. He scanned the classroom, and all conversation withered and died under his stare.

"It took you all 8 seconds to quiet down." He said. "That's not going to work here. You all need to have common sense and be disciplined if you want to make it at this school and become a pro."

' _What?'_ We all collectively thought. ' _Who the heck is this guy?'_ As if reading our minds, the man then said.

"I'm your homeroom teacher, Shouta Aizawa. Pleasure meeting you all." Without giving us a moment to react, he pulled a red, white, and blue jumpsuit out of nowhere and and tossed it to Midoriya.

"Put these on then hustle to the P.E. grounds. I trust you all can find the locker rooms." WIthout another word, Mr. Aizawa turned on his heel and walked out of the room. We all looked each, confused and put off by our strange teacher.

With a loud scraping sound, Iida pushed his chair back and grabbed a jumpsuit.

"Let's go everyone." He said. "Our teacher has given us instructions, it would be prudent to follow them, as it is the first day." With a symphony of scraping and rumbling noises, we all grabbed uniforms and headed to the locker rooms.

XXXXX

"A QUIRK APPREHENSION TEST?!" We all yelled. We began to bombard our new teacher with questions, many of which being 'what the heck is a quirk assessment test?'. Mr. Aizawa rolled his eyes and held up a hand for quiet.

"Back when you were younger you weren't allowed to use your quirks during the standardized fitness tests right?" He began. "Well today I'm telling you to use your quirks for the 8 events on the test. These results will be the foundation for your training here at U.A., and as we do tests like this in the future you can use today's results as a benchmark to see how your training has improved your skills. Think of them as your first stats as a hero."

He then turned and tossed a softball to the whitish-blond haired kid, whose name I had overheard in the locker room before we came out here.

"Bakugou, how far could you pitch a softball in middle school?" He asked.

"About 67 meters." Bakugou grunted. Mr. Aizawa nodded then pointed to the throwing range.

"Throw the ball, but this time use your quirk to augment the throw." Bakugou nodded, then strode over to the throwing circle.

"Anything is allowed, as long as you stay in the circle to do it." Mr. Aizawa added. Bakugou prepared himself, then took a crow hop and threw the ball.

"DIIIIEEEEE!" Bakugou screamed as his arm came forward. With a thunderous roar, a massive explosion erupted from Bakugou's hand, send the ball flying high into the air. We all gasped and watched in awe as the ball flew until it was barely visible, just a tiny speck in the sky.

Mr. Aizawa looked intently at a small device in his hands. After a moment it beeped, and Mr. Aizawa turned the screen to show us.

"Wow!"

"Holy crap, 705 meters!"

"That's insane Bakugou!"

"That looks like fun, can I try?"

"Oh man this is going to be a blast, I love the hero course!"

I felt just as excited as everyone else and I smiled at Kirishima and Kaminari, who fist-bumped and looked eagerly at the rest of the events that were set up. Besides the entrance exam, I had never used my quirk in a competitive environment before and I was eager to show everyone what I could do.

"So…" Mr. Aizawa murmured. Everyone shut up and turned to look at our teacher, who suddenly looked incredibly intimidating. "You guys think this looks fun? Were you all planning on spending your three years here having a good time? What happened to getting serious and becoming heroes? Isn't that why you all came to this school?"

We all looked at each other, nervous and inexplicably guilty.

"Fine then." He continued. "In that case, new rule: whoever gets the lowest score will be marked as 'hopeless'...and will be instantly expelled."

A shudder went through us all as we processed this new development. One of us was going to be expelled from U.A. on our first day. We all looked at each other, wondering which one of us it was going to be. As I turned to my left I saw Midoriya, who looked even more nervous than before. Beads of sweat dotted his forehead, and his legs quaked. If anyone looked like the weakest link, it was him. He stared hopelessly at our teacher, his eyes pleading. I turned back to face Mr. Aizawa, who had just announced that we would be doing the 50 meter dash first. As we all made our way silently over to the track, I ran through the events in my head.

' _Okay, I can use my quirk in the 50 meter dash and the sustained side to side jumps. After that I'm on my own. If my math is correct, then I should be able to run 50 meters in about 2.5 seconds at level 1, so I'm going to stay there unless I absolutely have to boost higher. All the running I've done will really show in the long jump and the endurance run, so I should be okay in those two as well. After that, it's just going to be a matter of how good an athlete I am and how useful my classmates quirks are.'_

I stood in the back and let my other classmates go ahead of me so I could assess their own quirks. Iida took me by surprise when he ran the dash in 3.04 seconds, but I was still confident that I could beat him.

' _I didn't know there was another speedster in this class.'_ I thought. Before I knew it, I was on the line next to a little kid with big purple balls growing from his head.

"Good luck man." I said to him.

"Thanks," he replied in a high-pitched voice.

"READY?" The automatic timer asked.

' _Yes I am.'_ I thought with a grin. "Boost, level 1."

"GO!" The timer said with a bang. I took off, cutting the distance almost in half in a single second. I could hear my classmate's exclamations of surprise as I sprinted by them at 45 mph. I turned my head to grin at them as I crossed the finish line, the timer calling out my time.

"2.49 SECONDS!" It announced. As I began to decelerate, I noticed the anti-gravity girl cheering for me. In that moment, I missed my footing and my left leg stretched further than it was accustomed to.

I knew immediately that I had committed a monumental fuck-up, and I threw myself off my feet in an effort to save my leg.

But it was too late.

Time seemed to slow down as I flew through the air, my hands moving to clutch my hamstring. The over-exerted muscles, already weakened from my slip up that morning, began to contract and shift in my leg. They felt as if a little kid was tying them into a knot, the muscles pulling an rearranging into a hard ball. Then, like a kid suddenly yanking on the rope to untie the knot, my hamstring muscles unwound and whipped back into place.

And, with a noise that seemed as loud as a gunshot in my head, my hamstring popped.

 **Hey guys! I am back from my trip, which means that I am back to writing for you guys. Thank you all for reading this chapter, and thank you all so much for all of the love and support you guys are giving this story. Its unfathomable to me that I've only published 4 chapters and yet Boosted already has 29 followers and 24 favorites. Like holy crap. Thank you thank you all so much! Please keep up the support! Now for the review responses...**

 **xOphiuchusx: That's the plan!**

 **Mr. Jack Joke: I'm not sure what you were laughing at (probably my crappy writing), but laugh on my dude!**

 **As usual, if you liked this story or really hated it, please let me know by reviewing this story or PMing me. If you really liked this story it would mean a lot if you followed or favorited it.**

 **Lastly: a few announcements.**

 **I'm probaly going to start doing all my updates in 2 parts, just because of the volume with which I write it would take twice as long to update the story, and I don't want to do that. I'd rather have 2 parts for each chapter than have one short chapter with shitty writing, or take a week or longer to publish one long new chapter.**

 **As you guys know, the tag team battle is coming up soon and I need help! If any of you are good artists or have good ideas for Shiamasu's hero costume, please PM me! I suck at drawing and I'm struggling to come up with a really awesome costume for Shiamasu. If any of you are willing to help me then please PM me! (Anyone who does will receive a shoutout from me in the chapter with the costume. Additionally, I am willing to offer a character role to whoever is willing to help me out.)**

 **That's all from me, see you guys next chapter. See you on the flipside.**


	5. Not a Normal Test part 2

I hit the dirt and skid, tucking my knees to my chest. I could faintly hear my classmates' exclamations of surprise and a few chuckles over the roaring in my ears as I wiped out. Once a came to a stop I clutched my hamstring, my face contorted into a grimace of pain. I sucked in and exhaled through gritted teeth, my eyes slits. My left hamstring felt like it was on fire, with throbbing pain coming in waves.

I gently probed the back of my leg, feeling for any spots of softness in the muscle that could indicate a tear. I hissed in pain as I found the injured spot, an area the size of a quarter on my hamstring.

"Hey are you okay Shiamasu?" Kirishima called out. I lifted my head and saw my classmates heading over to where I was. Mr. Aizawa hung back, looking bored.

"Nope." I grunted. "My hamstring just popped. Looks like I'm do- agh mother fuc- done for the day."

"Woah seriously?" A girl with pink skin and horns (I think her name was Ashido?) said. My classmates stood in a circle around me, their eyes filled with concern. But...I also detected a hint of satisfaction from a few of them. I knew what they were thinking: if I was hurt then that was just one less person they had to compete against.

"I didn't even know that you could pop your hamstring." Kaminari commented.

"Yeah well you can." I groaned. "It's not a very common injury but it happens. Look it up if you don't believe me." I tried to roll over so that I could look at my classmates as I was talking to them, but any movement I made sent a bolt of pain shooting up my leg, causing me to wince.

"Hey if you're hurt then we need to get you to recovery girl right away." Midoriya said. I smiled painfully at him.

"Good idea, let's do that please." I said.

"What's going on here?" A bored voice declared. My classmates broke off as Mr. Aizawa strolled over, eyeing us disdainfully.

"Shiamasu is hurt sir!" Iida answered. "We were going to take him to the school nurse."

"Hurt huh?" Mr. Aizawa mused. He stepped past my classmates and squatted down next to me. His long black hair hung above me, and I wrinkled my nose as its unwashed odor assailed my nostrils.

"Yes sir!" Iida continued. "He said he's too hurt to go on with the test." Mr. Aizawa didn't say anything for a moment. He just stared at me, his bloodshot eyes boring holes into the back of my head. I would have looked him in the eyes, but he was out of my field of vision and it hurt too much to adjust myself.

"You know," He began. "Being a hero is dangerous work. Whether you're off fighting bad guys or running through a burning building, danger is always around every corner for pros. And believe it or not, being a hero isn't always as easy or straightforward as most pros make it look on TV."

"Sometimes things go wrong. Sometimes the villain you're fighting is more powerful than they look. Sometimes they have a concealed weapon that you didn't know about. Sometimes the area that people that need to be saved are in is more dangerous than you anticipated."

"And sometimes, heroes get hurt. Sometimes, heroes die. But just because a hero gets injured doesn't mean they get to relax and let someone else take care of it. Real pros have to grit their teeth and suck it up and fight through the pain, because sometimes there's no one else who can get the job done. Do you think that All Might would stop fighting a bad guy just because he pulled a muscle? Do you think Endeavor would? Or Best Jeanist?"

"Being a hero means that you have to go beyond and take on any challenge no matter what the physical consequences may be."

"But…" he said, straightening up. "If you're really hurt and you can't continue with the test, then I'll send you to the nurse right away." I breathed a sigh of relief. After that speech, I was convinced that he wasn't going to let me go. I took a breath to thank him.

"However," Mr. Aizawa continued. "If you are hurt and you do go to the nurse, then it'll be clear to me that you don't have what it takes to be a hero."

"And you'll be expelled." My stomach dropped and I felt an overwhelming urge to vomit. Mr. Aizawa had just sentenced me to death, and from the way he sneered at me, he knew it. If I went to the nurse, then I would be expelled. But if I tried to suck it up and continue with the tests anyway, then I risked making my leg worse. Not only that, but I also wouldn't even be able to get competitive scores in the majority of the remaining events, and I would fail.

No matter what option I chose, it was incredibly likely that I was going home. The weight of that realization settled on my shoulders like a hundreds of bars of iron, and I felt as if I would be crushed by it. I screwed my eyes shut as they began to prickle with the onset of tears.

' _What do I do?'_ As hopelessness began to seep the strength from my body, I suddenly saw a flash in my brain.

I saw my parents, standing together. They were smiling, their faces full of pride and joy. They had on the same expressions that they did when we found out I had been accepted to U.A. Strength poured back into my body and I clenched my fists.

I would not let them down. I had gotten into U.A., and I would be damned if I was going to get kicked out on the first day.

I bit down hard on my tongue to keep myself from crying out as I rolled onto my back, then got into a sitting position. I looked up at Mr. Aizawa and met his eyes, a blazing fire of determination in mine. He returned my gaze with a cold look of disdain, and as I looked into his eyes I saw the unspoken challenge that was there. He wanted me to lie back down and admit defeat. He knew I was hurt, and he wanted me to give in to the pain.

' _Go on, lie back down.'_ His eyes seemed to say. ' _We both know you can't go on. There's no need for this to go on any longer. We both know how this story ends.'_

I grit my teeth as the fire of determination became a roaring inferno of hatred towards the man standing above me. I would not be beaten by Mr. Aizawa. I refused to.

Using my rage as a painkiller, I concentrated on the heat of it as I climbed to my feet. My leg screeched in agony, but all I felt was a dull ache in comparison to the passion of my rage. I glared at Mr. Aizawa, who finally looked ready to take me seriously.

"No sir," I growled. "I'm fine. I just fell down is all. We can continue with the tests." Mr. Aizawa kept looking at me for a moment, then shrugged and turned his back to me.

"Very well." He said. "The next event is the grip strength test. Follow me, class." Most of the class followed our teacher, but a few hung back with me.

"What are you doing man?" Kirishima hissed. "You know you can't go on, why did you do that?"

"Because," I began. "I'm going to be a pro, no matter what it takes." I turned to the anti-gravity girl, who had also hung back.

"Hey," I said. "Listen, I know we don't know each other very well, but I need a huge favor." She nodded.

"Yeah what do you need?"

"Do you think you could use your quirk on me? I can't really walk at the moment, but I can just hover and move my legs. Kirishima can walk behind me and hold onto my shirt to make sure I don't float away."

"Absolutely!" She replied, nodding vigorously. "It's crazy that Mr. Aizawa is making you continue the tests in your condition." She stepped forward and put her hand on my shoulder. I immediately felt all the weight leave my body, and I began to hover about a millimeter off the ground. I grinned.

"Thank you so much!" I said. She smiled.

"Don't mention it." She stuck out her hand. "I'm Ochaco Uraraka by the way." I took her hand.

"I'm Kokuree Shiamasu. It's nice to meet you." We shook. "Alright, let's get going before we get left behind."

XXXX

The next event, the grip strength test, took place in an indoor gym. Once we got inside Uraraka released me, and I hobbled over to the large bin that was filled with the apparatus we needed for the test. Luckily for me, this event didn't require me to use my leg at all, and I was pretty strong after years of training, so I got what I thought was a pretty respectable score.

I wasn't so lucky with the next two events. For the standing long jump I could only use one leg, so not only was my score abysmal but I also face planted into the sand when I landed. I was still spitting sand out of my mouth as I watched my classmates all get incredible scores.

I didn't even try for the sustained side-to-side jumps. As soon as Mr. Aizawa told us to start I jumped right out of bounds.

The upper body exercises went tremendously, once again thanks to years of training in preparation for being a hero. Of course, I wasn't getting scores like those of Shoji or Sato, but I was happy to see Bakugou fuming after he saw my scores.

Unfortunately, that was going to be my last triumph of the day as we headed to the track for the endurance run and the seated toe touch. For the seated toe touch, I barely even reached the minimum for the test, and that was after a lot of grunting and swearing under my breath.

The endurance run was what really pissed me off though. If I wasn't hurt, this event would have been an absolute piece of cake for me. A test to see how long you could run? It was practically made for me. But, thanks to my gimp leg, I had to drop out after one lap. I spent the rest of the time angrily massaging my leg as my classmates literally ran circles around me.

The final event was the softball pitch, which I thought wouldn't be an issue. But what I had forgotten was that throwing a ball isn't just your arms: it works your whole body. As soon as I wound up I felt my hamstring throb angrily, but I just bit my tongue and threw the ball with everything I had.

The ball landed 75 meters away, and I collapsed in the throwing area, my leg screaming in protest. Kirishima and Kaminari rushed over and helped me to my feet. As they helped my hobble to the side, I hung my head in shame. I knew I was going to be the one going home. I may have done really well in the 50 meter dash, and gotten decent scores in a few other tests, but I had tanked on half the exam.

It was all I could do not to cry as my classmates took their throws and got awesome scores. Last but not least, Midoriya stepped up to take his throw. The class grew quiet as he made his way over to the circle. We all knew that he had taken down that 0-pointer during the entrance exam, and some of us had even witnessed it. There was no question that he was super powerful. And yet, he hadn't used any of that power during the test. All day he had gotten mediocre scores, like me.

I would say that it was between me and him for who would be going home. While I wanted more than anything for it to not be the case, I knew it was going to be me in the end. Sure, I may have had one amazing score, but I flopped on the others. Midoriya may not have had one super great score, but he had at least been able to compete in every event.

Midoriya looked like he was ready to throw up as he slowly walked to the throwing area, his face as green as his hair. His lower lip quivered slightly, and he stared at the softball in his hand almost pleadingly.

' _It's now or never Midoriya.'_ I called out silently. Almost as if he heard me, he suddenly screwed his face up in determination and wound up. I could see it in his eyes, he was about to use his quirk to send that ball to the freaking moon. I unconsciously took a half step back, waiting for the boom that his throw would cause.

My mouth dropped open as he whipped his arm forward...and the ball flew a measly 46 meters away.

"What?" I heard Midoriya exclaim, staring at his hands. "I for sure just tried to use it…"

"I erased your quirk." Mr. Aizawa said. As he stepped forward from behind the class, we all gasped. His hair was floating above him, as was the weird scarf that was draped around his neck. But what was most unsettling were his eyes. They glowed red, and they seemed to bore holes in Midoriya's frightened face as Mr. Aizawa stalked over to him.

"Wait!" Midoriya exclaimed. "Your power, those goggles...you must be him! The hero who can cancel out the quirk of whomever he's looking at! The erasing hero, Eraserhead!"

My classmates muttered in confusion, all of us unsure of what Midoriya was talking about. None of us had ever heard of a hero like that.

"How did someone like you get into U.A.?" Mr. Aizawa spat. "You obviously don't have full control over your power yet. Were you just going to cripple yourself again and hope that someone would come to help you?"

Midoriya, looking frightened and flustered, tried to defend himself, but shut up as Mr. Aizawa's scarf suddenly whipped forward and wrapped around Midoriya, dragging him over to Mr. Aizawa.

"You know," Mr. Aizawa began. "You remind me of another famous hero. All heart and spirit but no self-control. You may have his courage, but all you'll manage to do is hurt yourself. You're a liability on the battlefield. Face it, your "power" won't help you become a hero Izuku Midoriya."

As he concluded his brutal assault on Midoriya's psychi, Mr. Aizawa closed his eyes. His hair immediately fell back into place and his scarf released Midoriya.

"I've returned your quirk. Go on and take your final throw." Mr. Aizawa said, turning and making his way back to the observation area. There was silence as Mr. Aizawa took his place behind us all, recorder in hand.

"That was pretty heavy." Kirishima muttered.

"No kidding." I said with a nod. "What do you think he's going to do now?"

"He has to use his quirk, obviously." Kaminari said. "It's the only way he's going to pass."

"Nah man," Kirishima argued. "After that whole display? If he uses his quirk then he'd just be proving Mr. Aizawa right. I don't think he's gonna use it."

"Well it looks like we're about to find out." I said as Midoriya wound up. It seemed impossible, but somehow he looked even more determined than before. His green eyes blazed with passion, and it sent chills up my spine.

This time the boom did come as Midoriya launched the ball like a rocket high into the sky. The ball broke the clouds as it traveled along its parabolic path. As it reached its zenith, it seemed to hang in the sky like a star before falling back to Earth, landing 705.3 meters away.

Uraraka cheered as Midoriya turned back to look at Mr. Aizawa. He clutched his throwing arm, which was trembling badly but didn't seem to be broken. He smiled weakly at Mr. Aizawa and clenched his fist as his eyes welled up with tears.

"See Mr. Aizawa." He said through gritted teeth. "I'm still standing."

For the first time, Mr. Aizawa wore an expression other than boredom or disdain. His eyes were wide open and he was grinning widely. Despite his harsh words to Midoriya, he actually looked pleased that Midoriya had managed to succeed.

We were all pretty pumped up after that. It was good to see a classmate succeed, especially after the once-over Mr. Aizawa had given him. In fact, the only one of us who didn't seem happy to see Midoriya succeed was Bakugou. He stood there staring at Midoriya, his mouth hanging open in shock, his eyes as big as dinner plates. A vein throbbed on his forehead as Midoriya began to make his way out of the throwing area.

Suddenly, Bakugou launched himself at Midoriya, his face contorted in rage.

"Deku you quirkless freak! How the Hell did you do that?!" He roared. I froze as Mr. Aizawa used his quirk to stop Bakugou. I suddenly felt cold...so cold. Every hair on my body stood up, and my heart began to beat wildly out of control.

' _Deku you quirkless freak!'_

' _Quirkless freak!'_

' _Quirkless freak!'_

' _Quirkless freak!'_

" _Shiamasu you quirkless freak!'_ Cold sweat dripped down my back and I began to tremble. Bakugou's accusation had sent my conscience running down the rabbit hole that was my mind, and flashes of memories suddenly bombarded me. My classmates. Sumisu. Claws and fangs. Those horrible, awful, evil yellow eyes. Ms. Harioka. Blood.

' _Those words…'_ I thought. ' _Why did Bakugou call Midoriya that? Why? Why? Whywhywhywhywhywhywh-'_

"Hey! Shiamasu!" I brought back out of my stupor by Kirishima shaking my shoulder. I blinked and rubbed my eyes, scrubbing the last traces of those awful images from my retinas.

"Hey you alright buddy?" Kirishima asked, his face full of concern. "It looked like you were about to faint for a second there."

"Don't worry, I'm fine." I lied, smiling thinly. "I just spaced out for a second there." Kirishima obviously didn't believe, and for a moment it looked like he was going to press the issue. But, he just shrugged and turned around.

"Fine then." He said. "Let's get moving, Mr. Aizawa is going to announce the results now."

I followed Kirishima, limping mutely along behind him. As we made our way over to the results board, I silently bade the school of my dreams farewell. A small tear trickled down my cheek, and I let it run down my face and drip off my chin.

XXXXX

My mouth hung open. All I could do was stare at the results board. A runaway train of emotions careened through my brain, making coherent thought impossible. I wanted to cry. I wanted to laugh. I wanted to run around in circles and scream.

There, in 19th place, was my name. Finally, I got enough control over my body to turn my head to look at Midoriya, who was in last place. His shoulders shook as he gazed at the results board, his face impossibly sad. He looked utterly defeated, all of the heart drained from his body. I wanted to go and say something, to offer words of encouragement, but it would have been lost on him. His body may have been there, but his mind was thousands of miles away, spiraling into a deep pit of depression.

"Oh yeah, one more thing." Mr. Aizawa said. "I lied. No one's getting expelled."

We probably would have reacted better if he had pulled a grenade out of pocket and pulled the pin.

Everyone started talking at once, some yelling at Mr. Aizawa, others declaring that they knew the whole time. Midoriya practically glowed with happiness, and I couldn't help but feel happy for him.

"Aright that's enough." Mr. Aizawa said, holding his hands up for quiet. "Class is over for today, go back to the room and grab your curriculum guides and review tonight when you get home." As the class moved towards the school, Mr. Aizawa suddenly called out.

"Midoriya, Shiamasu. Wait a second." Midoriya and I looked at each other, then turned to face our teacher. He held out two sheets of paper in his hand.

"Here, each of you take one." He said, waving them in front of us. "They're passes for the Nurse's office. Take them to recovery girl and get fixed up, you're both going to have to be at 100% for tomorrow's exercise." Midoriya thanked Mr. Aizawa and walked off to the Nurse, but I hung back. Mr. Aizawa looked faintly surprised when I didn't move to take the slip.

"Is there a problem Shiamasu?" He asked.

"May I speak freely sir?" He humphed and shrugged his shoulders.

"Knock yourself out." He replied.

"Respectfully sir, but you're full of it." Mr. Aizawa raised his eyebrow, but didn't respond besides that.

"You were always going to send someone home. Hell, we both know it should have been me. I couldn't even compete in half the test. I don't know how, but somehow I managed to beat Midoriya. But if I hadn't, you would have sent me home without batting an eye. No, you would have sent any one of us home. Why did Midoriya make you change your mind? Why didn't you send him home?"

Mr. Aizawa didn't reply. He just stared at me silently, his face blank. After a few seconds he reached forward and stuffed the nurse's note in my hand and turned his back to me.

"Get your ass to the Nurse before you fall over." I clutched the note in my hand as Mr. Aizawa walked around the corner and disappeared. Finally, I turned and limped inside.

XXXXXXX

As I sat on the train on my way home, I couldn't help but flex my leg and kick it back and forth.

' _Recovery girl really is amazing.'_ I thought. ' _It's completely healed. It's not even tight at all.'_

After I got done testing out my new hamstring, I tried to read over the curriculum guide but I couldn't concentrate. I would read a few lines, but my mind would always return to the events of today. Finally, I gave up and stuffed the paper in my backpack.

I leaned my head back against the window and closed my eyes, allowing my brain to run freely. It had been one crazy first day all right. I had made some friends, gotten hurt, failed a bunch of tests, nearly had a mental breakdown, and then confronted a teacher. I sighed heavily, sinking down into my seat.

' _I guess I had better get used to this.'_ I thought. ' _Something tells me U.A. is only going to get crazier from here on out.'_ As I sat there reliving the events of the day, I felt my brain begin to power down. I briefly considered fighting it, but I mentally shrugged and allowed myself to succumb to exhaustion, sinking into the inky blackness of sleep.

XXX

The boy felt so much hatred for the kid sitting in the seat he felt he might explode from it. He gripped the armrest so hard he felt the plastic creak from the pressure. His heart thudded in his chest and blood roared in his ear drums. He just looked so damn _content,_ sitting there fast asleep in his brand new U.A. uniform.

' _It isn't fair.'_ The boy howled silently. ' _It isn't fucking fair.'_ The boy sat like that for the rest of the train ride, staring at the U.A. student across the car, his mind full of thoughts of violence and revenge.

 **Hey guys! Thank you all for taking the time to read my story. Once again, thank you all for showing so much support for Boosted, it means the world to me. Seriously, you guys are all amazing. As usual, if you have any comments, criticisms, or praise then please please please let me know by leaving a review or PMing me. If you really like this story, then it would mean a lot if you showed support by following or favoriting Boosted. Any support you guys give me only inspires me to write more for you guys! Now for the comments.**

 **Lord Terronus: Thanks for the comment! I really like the idea of a blue skinsuit, I think that could work really well. Also, I'm happy to hear that you like my writing, I hope I can live up to your expectations! P.S. rambling is a good thing, don't let anyone tell you differently. It just shows your passion.**

 **Anyways, that's it from me guys. I hope you all look forward to the next chapter. See you on the flipside.**


	6. Super-Powered-Battle-Brawlers part 1

**Hey guys. So this is my 3rd attempt posting this chapter today. First the spacing was messed up, which someone PMed me about, and then I noticed later on on my own that the italics and bold was messed up, so I had to correct that too. Sorry about all this, I won't let it happen again. Please enjoy.**

I trudged through the door and sighed heartily, kicking off my shoes and letting my schoolbag slide off my shoulders. I pushed my hair out of my face and rubbed my eyes, still groggy from my accidental snooze on the train home from U.A. Yawning, I eyed the clock hanging on the wall of the living room, noting that my parents wouldn't be home from work for another half an hour.

I knew that they were going to bombard me with questions as soon as they got home, meaning that I only had 30 minutes to be productive and get things for school done. After that, my time would be spent answering the inevitable flood of questions from my parents. So, fighting fatigue and hunger, I flopped onto the couch and pulled out the stack of papers that I had been sent home with. Unlike my attempts on the train, this time I was able to focus on the sheaf of syllabi in front of me without my mind wandering to the events from earlier.

My morning classes were the same as they've been my whole life: Math, Literature, History, and English Studies. I only skimmed those syllabi, as they were basically the same as the ones I've received in the past. They encouraged hard work, gave an overview of the topics we would cover, and offered lists for recommended classroom materials.

It was the syllabus for foundational hero studies that I really payed attention to. I meticulously read over each line, feeling more and more excited with every word. Hero studies classes would be held in the afternoon, and seemed to be divided into two sections: classroom and training. For our classroom time, we would be studying the rules of being a hero, the history of quirks, and how to get recruited by a hero agency. I mentally referred to classroom time as "the boring stuff", but in reality I was just as excited to be learning in the classroom as I was to be training. For our training time, we would be performing exercise to train us to be pro heros. This included combat training, disaster training, survival training, physical workouts, and a host of other hero-based activities.

I began to bounce lightly on my feet as I read through the sheet, a grin taking form on my face. I couldn't wait to start with actual classes tomorrow. Once again, I began to fantasize about how classes would go. Of course, I put myself at the forefront of each fantasy, imagining myself getting every answer right, winning every competition, being the best and becoming a pro. I was practically drooling with anticipation as my parents suddenly burst into the apartment.

Without pausing to greet me or even warn me, they gathered me into a bone-crushing hug and proceeded to squeeze the life out of me with their love. I returned the hug with a smile, which quickly became a grimace as I began to run out of oxygen. I frantically swatted my father's back, trying to extricate myself from their grasps. Luckily, they realized what was happening and let me go.

I sucked in enormous breaths of air, filling my lungs to the brim. After a few huge breaths, I had recovered enough to smile weakly and give them a proper greeting.

"Hi mom, hi dad."

"We can skip the greetings for now." My father said, taking a seat in an armchair. "We just want to hear all about your first day."

"That's right." My mother agreed, sitting in another armchair opposite my father. "Tell us all about it."

I grinned and sat back down on the couch, eager to recall all of the events of the day. I rubbed my chin and made an exaggerated expression of deep thought.

"Hmm…" I mused theatrically. "Where to begin…" Suddenly, my eyes lit up and I raised my finger in the air.

"I know where to start!" I declared. "It all began on the day I was born." I laughed as my parents threw pillows at me and urged me to get serious. Laughing, I swatted their assault away and began to tell them all about U.A.

They were the perfect audience, as parents usually are. They laughed, gasped, oohed and aahed in all of the right places. They were attentive and asked questions, but only during lulls in the story. They were thrilled that I had already made friends with a few of my classmates, and were astounded to hear about all of the incredible powers my classmates possessed. To tell the truth, I was astounded as well hearing myself talk about them out loud.

They asked me about the architecture of the school, what the classes were like, who my teachers were, and made dozens of other inquiries. By the time we had all talked ourselves out, we were shocked to see that nearly three hours had passed during our discussion. Too tired to cook, my parents ordered delivery while I showered and got all of my stuff ready for tomorrow.

By the time we had finished dinner, I could hardly keep my eyes open. Using the last of my strength, I washed my dishes, bid my parents goodnight, and flopped into bed. Almost immediately, I felt the warm embrace of sleep and gave in to its soothing darkness.

 _I cowered in the empty locker, staring wildly out of the small grill. All I could see was a tiny portion of the dark hallway directly in front of me... but I could hear it._

 _The beast was getting closer. I could hear its claws click on the linoleum as it tracked me: its prey. It growled and sniffed the air, slowly making its was down the row of lockers one-by-one. Tears streamed down my face and I shook violently, my body wracked with silent sobs of fear._

 _"Where are you, weakling?" It called out, its horrible voice echoing up and down the hall. "Why don't you use your quirk to fight me? Oh wait, you don't have one. Quirkless freak."_

 _The beast laughed then, a noise like metal scraping against metal. It was the laugh of a demon. I screwed my eyes shut and pressed my hands against my ears to try and drown out the sound._

 _Finally, fear overcame me and I let out a small squeak. It was a tiny sound; a pitiful wail of terror. But it was all the beast needed. It suddenly stopped laughing, the hallway becoming deathly silent once more. I covered my mouth and nose with my hands, praying that the beast hadn't heard it well enough to track me._

 _For an eternity, nothing moved. It was so quiet that a pin dropping would have been as loud as a gunshot in the silence. I didn't dare breathe, move, think. All I did was stare out into the gloom._

 _Suddenly, the beast pelted down the hallway and came to a howling stop in front of my hiding place. I screamed as it ripped the locker door off its hinges and leapt at me, teeth bared and claws outstretched to rip me apart._

I jerked awake with a gasp, my eyes darting around the room wildly. I groaned and covered my face with my hands as I realized that I had fallen prey to another nightmare.

"Guess I lost the bet." I whispered to myself.

XXXXXXX

As the three of us did our daily dance of trying to get out the door in time for school and work, I pulled my parents away from their steaming mugs and sat them on the couch. They leered at me groggily, annoyed that I had pulled them away from their breakfast.

"You guys win." I declared. Immediately, all traces of sleep melted off their faces and they looked at me with fresh expressions of concern. "Last night made it the 5th this month."

My mother stood up and pulled me into a hug, love and concern radiating from her like heat from a fire. My father put his hand on my shoulder and sighed.

"We can talk about this more tonight." He said. "Right now you need to get going." I nodded at my father, who had begun to smile again. I returned the smile, but it didn't reach my eyes. I knew that he was just putting on a brave face, trying to look strong for my mom and I. I knew that he was frantic on the inside, concern for me stirring him up like a blender.

But if he let it show, then it would just send all three of us over the edge. So he smiled as he sent me on my way to school. As I made my way out of the apartment, I looked back to give my parents a smile, just to show them that I was okay. In that moment, as my gaze landed on my father, his smile suddenly seemed strikingly familiar. So much so that it put me off a little, and continued to bother me during my train ride to school and my walk to U.A. It hit me as I passed the row of stone likenesses of past heroes walking up the stairs to the main building.

My father's smile looked just like All Might's.

XXXXX

"I...AM...HERE!" A masculine voice announced. We all whirled around in our seats as the classroom door slide open with a bang. The first thing we all saw was 2 two tufts of golden hair that were sticking up like antennae and a dazzling smile. He was here alright.

We all gasped as the rest of All Might came through the door, the legendary hero decked out in a red white and blue skinsuit with a blue cape and yellow utility belt. The pro-turned-teacher strode into the room, all heroism and bulging muscles. This was the first time I had ever seen All Might in person, and it gave me the chills. Here he was, a living legend, the symbol of peace, the greatest hero of all time, standing right in front of us. Just looking at him made me feel more heroic.

He turned to face us all as he made his way behind the central desk, hands on his hips and all smiles.

"Welcome to the most important class at U.A. high; think of it as heroing 101!" He began. "Here you will learn the basics of being a pro! And what it means to fight in the name of good!" He whirled around and struck a pose, his arms bent and his foot planted on the desk to show off his figure.

"Let's get into it!" He declared, whirling around to face us again. "Today's lesson will pull no punches!" He thrust a piece of paper towards us with the word 'battle' scrawled on it in red.

"Fight training!" Bakugou said with a devilish grin.

"Real combat?" Midoriya chirped nervously. I couldn't keep myself from smiling along with most of the class. As heroes-to-be, most of us couldn't wait to get our hands dirty.

"But one of the keys of being a hero iiiiiiis looking good!" All Might continued, pointing to the left wall, which had begun to slide out in columns. Gray cases with number painted on them in green emerged from the wall.

"These were designed for you based on your quirk registration forms and the requests you sent in before school started."

A collective squeal resonated through the room as the implications of what All Might had just said hit us, and I leapt to my feet in excitement.

' _Our costumes!_ ' I thought, grinning like a loon. We all gazed at our respective cases with a combination of wonder and delight, eager to hold our official hero outfits in our own hands.

"Get yourselves suited up, then meet me at Battle Station Beta!" All Might concluded before striding heroically out of the room. We all charged forward for our cases, practically trampling each other in our haste to get our costumes. I grabbed mine and hugged it to my chest, sprinting out of the room to the locker room.

' _This is gonna be amazing!_ '

XXXXXXX

Class 1-A walked in a huddle into the battle center, emerging from the shadowy tunnel like a sports team before a big game. Only cooler.

"They say that clothes make the pros, ladies and gentlemen, and you are the proof!" All Might said as we walked into the bright sunlight.

It couldn't have been a nicer day for our heroic debut. The bright spring sun shone down on us, glinting off of an assortment of metal and reflective clothing. We were a rainbow of heroism, with every color and pattern imaginable represented. There was armor, helmets, masks, gloves, goggles, boots, sneakers, utility belts, capes, skinsuits, even some normal clothing mixed in for good measure. We had each designed our costumes with two key factors in mind: utility, and style. And if anyone bothered to ask me, I would have said that we had taken style and hit it out of the park.

"Take this to heart: from now on you are all heroes in training!" All Might declared as he took in our costumes. "You're getting me all ramped up! You look so cool! Now, shall we get started? You bunch of newbies!"

As All Might gathered a few things for the lesson, we all milled about and talked about our costumes.

"Looking sharp there Shiamasu!" Kirishima called out. "Although it's kinda hard to tell its you under that helmet!"

"Thanks Kirishima!" I said with a laugh. My costume was a blue and white skinsuit made from a special, low friction fabric. It was padded slightly for extra protection, and came with a white utility belt. The buckle was blue, and had three arrows pointing right engraved onto it. The chest was blue, but was white down the sides and curved up around my pecs and stopped at my collarbone like fish hooks. My arms were blue that came up a little past my elbows, where they became white. I had white gloves that were padded a tiny bit to protect my hands when I punched. My legs started white at my waist, then came down to my knees, where they became white. I wore white boots, and my shins and the rest of my lower legs were blue. But strapped around my shins were plates of solid steel, like shinguards. They had been painted the same blue as the rest of my costume, and were attached to my legs with a series of latches built into the suit. The plates had one purpose: offense. My helmet was a sleek thing, made from a special low-weight alloy that was meant to be strong yet light. It was white, and had two small white antennae sticking up along the ears. The face mask was a blue, one-way plexiglass visor. It slid up and exposed my face with a button on the side of the helmet, which I pressed as Kirishima addressed me.

"You aren't looking too bad yourself." I said, eyeing his costume. "But we get it, you have abs. Do you really have to show them off like that?" He laughed and struck a pose, flexing his exposed midriff.

"Ladies love it man!" We laughed and turned to mingle with our classmates, but were interrupted by All Might.

"Now that you're ready, it's time for combat training!" All Might said. Before he could continue, he was interrupted by Iida, who was decked out in a costume that looked like a cross between a medieval knight and a robot.

"This is the fake city from our entrance exam, does that mean we'll be conducting urban battles again?" Iida asked.

"Not quite." All Might said, holding up two fingers. "I'm going to move you up two steps ahead! Most of the hero fights you see on the news take place outside. However, statistically speaking, run-ins with the most dastardly evildoers take place indoors. Think about it! Backroom deals, home invasions, secret underground lairs. Truly intelligent villains stay in the shadows."

"For this training exercise you'll be split into teams of good guys and bad guys, and fight two-on-two indoor battles!" All Might continued.

"Isn't this a little advanced?" My classmate, Tsuyu Asui asked.

"The best training is what you get on the battlefield!" All Might replied, clenching his fist. "But remember, you can't just punch a robot this time; you're dealing with actual people now."

Everyone began to talk at once, all of them asking questions about the task we were about to perform. All Might looked around frantically for a moment, trying to determine who he should answer first. Evidently, he decided not to answer any of them.

"I wasn't finished talking!" All Might said, frustrated. He then rummaged through his utility belt and pulled out a small sheaf of folded papers, which he promptly unfolded and began to read from.

Basically, the villains had stolen a massive bomb and were hiding it somewhere inside a building. It was the heroes' job to either claim the weapon, or detain the villains by wrapping them in capture tape. The villains had to defend the weapon, or detain the heroes. Each fight would have a time limit of 15 minutes, and the winners would be judged by All Might. He would also assign MVPs to each battle group based on the person's performance.

"Time is limited, and we'll choose teams by drawing lots!" All Might said, holding up a box.

"Isn't there a better way to do this?" Iida asked. Midoriya explained the logic behind the method, and Iida apologized for his "rudeness".

I was placed on team J with Kirishima, which we were both ecstatic over.

"Heck yeah, we're on the same team!" He yelled.

"The hero team doesn't stand a chance!" I replied. We high-fived, grinning at each other. All Might stuck his hands in two boxes: a white "hero" box, and a black "villain" box, and began to rummage around.

"I declare that the first two teams to fight will be…" He suddenly withdrew his hands and held them up for us to see. The villains were team D, and the heroes were team A. Bakugo and Iida against Midoriya and Uraraka.

' _Holy crap._ ' I thought. ' _This matchup isn't fair at all._ '

"Team A will be the heroes, team D will be the villains." All Might said as we all began to whisper to each other. I stole a glance at Midoriya, who looked nervous as Hell. Bakugou on the other hand looked ecstatic, and he smiled evilly, leering hungrily at Midoriya.

"This is going to be a bloodbath." I said to Kirishima, who nodded thoughtfully.

"Maybe, but All Might will stop it if it gets too rough." He replied.

"I sure hope so," I muttered as All Might began to shepherd us all to the spectator room, leaving the two teams to strategize.

' _This is not going to end well._ ' I thought as we walked away from the combatants.

XXX

"Team A, team D, your time starts now!" All Might yelled into the mic, signaling the start of the bout. We were all huddled into the viewing room, looking up at a massive screen that dominated one wall. It was divided into several smaller screens that played feeds of the battle. They gave us the perfect view of the two teams from a series of hidden cameras scattered around the building. Unfortunately, the only thing that was missing was the sound.

Immediately, Bakugou ran off away from the weapon, leaving Iida behind to guard it. He was like a wolf that had been set loose, and there was something predatory about the way he stalked the halls of the building in search of the heroes.

"Pay attention kids, think about what you would do." All Might said. We all watched silently as Midoriya and Uraraka crept into the building through a window and began to sneak through the empty halls. We began to shift and murmur amongst ourselves as we saw Bakugou close in on the unsuspecting heroes. He suddenly leapt out from behind a corner, sending an explosion towards Midoriya and Uraraka. Midoriya managed to dive and push Uraraka out of the way, successfully avoiding the attack. We cheered and urged them on.

"Give em Hell Bakugou!" Someone yelled.

"Go heroes!" Another voiced cheered.

Instead of attacking though, Bakugou simply brushed past the smoke from the blast with a sweep of his arm and began to talk to the heroes.

"What's he saying?" I asked no one in particular.

"Sneak attack Bakugou?" Kirishima said, slamming his fist against his palm. "What kind of a man does cheap crap like that?"

"It's a viable strategy." All Might said. "He's playing the part, acting like a true villain would."

Bakugou suddenly leapt forward, drawing his hand back for a huge right hook. I winced, preparing myself to see Midoriya flying through the air like a rag doll. Instead, my eyes widened in shock as Midoriya charged forward and grabbed Bakugou's arm as he swung, pivoting on his heel and slamming Bakugou to the floor in a perfectly executed throw.

"Woah, that was amazing." Kaminari whispered.

"I didn't know Midoriya had that in him." I said.

Midoriya got into a fighting stance as Bakugou got back to his feet. As the two glared at each other, Midoriya yelled something at him. Whatever he said enraged Bakugou, who attacked Midoriya again. This time he used a blast from his hands to launch himself forward, aiming a kick at Midoriya's head, which he managed to block. Midoriya then began to wrap Bakugou's leg in capture tape. Uraraka ran off, most likely in search of the weapon.

Bakugou then aimed another big punch at Midoriya, forcing him to let go of Bakugou's leg and dive away, earning him a mutter of approval from the class.

"The little guy is really good." Rikido Sato said.

"He's holding his own, and he hasn't even used his quirk yet!" Hanta Sero said. I held my tongue, staring anxiously at the screen.

' _He's doing well now, but Bakugou will change up his moves once he realizes that Midoriya has them all figured out.'_ I thought. ' _After that, he doesn't stand a chance if he keeps trying to fight without his quirk.'_

As if realizing his disadvantage, Midoriya suddenly turned and took off. Bakugou roared silently on screen and ran after him, but lost him in the maze-like hallways. We watched as Midoriya took cover behind a corner, pausing to catch his breath and strategize as Bakugou stalked up and down the hallways in search of him. At the same time, Uraraka managed to find the weapon and sneak up to it, but somehow gave herself away.

It looked like Uraraka said something to Midoriya over the radio, and he climbed to his feet.

"Look!" Someone called out. On screen, Bakugou had managed to find Midoriya and stood behind him. Bakugou raised up his right hand and began to talk to Midoriya again, but we still couldn't get any audio. Midoriya turned to face him and sunk into a fighting stance, the capture tape unfurled in his hands. Bakugou suddenly grinned and pointed his hand at Midoriya, saying something to him.

"What's he doing?" Kirishima wondered. "An explosion won't work at that range." As if answering his question, Bakugou pulled back the safety pin on his right gauntlet, which looked like an enormous grenade. This exposed a pin, which Bakugou grasped. All Might started, leaning forward and speaking urgently into the mic.

"Young Bakugou! Don't do it! You'll kill him!"

Bakugou mouthed something on screen, then pulled the pin. The screen became a kaleidoscope of yellow, white, and red for a moment, then went to static as the camera was obliterated by Bakugou's attack. We heard an enormous boom, then the shockwave hit us. I stumbled and grabbed onto Kirishima for support as the shockwave caused the observation room to shudder and shake.

"This is nuts!" Kirishima exclaimed as All Might tried to raise Midoriya on the radio. I looked up at the camera feeds as the smoke gradually cleared from the screen. Bakugou's attack had blown a massive hole in the back wall of the building, shattering all of the windows and leaving rubble scattered all over the floor.

Midoriya's mask had been completely blown away, and his costume was scorched and torn all over. Bakugou stalked over to Midoriya as he struggled to his feet.

On the other screen, Iida had a hand raised to his helmet and was turned away from Uraraka. It looked like he was trying to communicate with Bakugou. Uraraka, seeing her chance, darted forward and used her quirk to fly over Iida to grab the weapon. Iida was too fast though, and managed to get the missile out of the way before she could latch onto it, causing her to crash to the floor.

"Sir, isn't this getting a little out of hand?" Kirishima said suddenly, breaking the tense silence. "That Bakugou is acting real crazy, he's trying to kill him."

"Not so." All Might raised the mic to his mouth. "Bakugou, use that stored up power again and I'll stop this fight. You're team will lose."

On screen Bakugou raised his head and mouthed "Huh?".

"To use such a strong attack indoors is inviting the destruction of the stronghold you should be protecting." All Might continued. "That's a poor strategy, whether you're a hero or a villain."

"Yeah, not to mention that Midoriya will get burned to a crisp if Bakugou does that again." I muttered.

Bakugou roared silently and leapt at Midoriya, his eyes full of murderous rage. The room cheered as Midoriya sunk into a fighting stance, then gasped as he lost his footing on a piece of rubble. Midoriya, sensing his predicament, tried a sloppy punch. Bakugou, in an amazing display of athleticism and control over his quirk, used explosions from his hands to fly over the punch and blast Midoriya in the back.

"That took some serious skill." I said, somewhat awestruck. I could hear my classmates mutter amongst themselves behind me, discussing Bakugou's unexpected skill and intelligence. I stayed silent, dumbfounded by the display in front of me.

' _So...this is what a real contender for the #1 spot looks like.'_ I thought as Bakugou pressed the attack, ferociously blasting Midoriya again and again. ' _Such speed. Such power. It's unreal.'_

Midoriya turned and began to run away, seemingly overwhelmed by Bakugou's relentless assault.

"Not very manly, but he doesn't have a choice." Kirishima said. "He's outgunned."

' _No…_ ' I thought, scrutinizing Midoriya's expression from another angle. ' _His eyes… there's not a trace of fear._ ' Midoriya may have been running away, but it wasn't caused by overwhelming fear like my classmates thought it was. He was too determined, his movements too precise. My eyes widened in realization as Midoriya put more distance between him and Bakugou.

' _He's got a plan_.'

Midoriya whirled around to face his opponent as Bakugou over. The two began to yell at each other, Midoriya's face full of fearful determination while Bakugou's was a mask of hate and rage.

The two began to run at each other, causing a wave of unease in the observation room. Everyone began talking at once, urging All Might to stop the match while voicing their own concerns for the combatants' safety.

"They're going to kill each other! Sir!" Kirishima yelled, tugging frantically on All Might's cape. All Might didn't react for a moment, then roared into the mic.

"Both of you! Stop!"

"Too late!" I exclaimed as the boys began their final attacks. What happened next was a blur of motion on the screen, but at the same time felt slowed down. I saw Midoriya at the last moment shift his right arm down for an uppercut, bringing his left arm up to block Bakugou's explosive punch. I couldn't hear it from the screen, but I heard Midoriya's voice in my head as he mouthed the word on screen.

' _SMAAAAAAASH!_ '

Midoriya's arm seemed to glow as he brought it up for a devastating punch, which would have knocked Bakugou's head clean off had it landed. Instead, it whizzed past Bakugou's face, leaving him untouched as an enormous shockwave errupted from Midoriya's fist. Bakugou's eyes widened in shock as he was blown backwards from the sheer force of Midoriya's attack

The concussive blast ripped through the ceiling like it was made of paper, blowing an enormous hole straight up through the building. Pieces of rubble flew through the air, and the entire building shook as dozens of support columns cracked or broke entirely. Uraraka, grabbing hold of one of said columns, swung it like a baseball bat, sending a swarm of debri flying at Iida like buckshot from a shotgun.

While Iida shielded himself from the attack, Uraraka once again flew over Iida, this time managing to grab hold of the weapon, claiming it for the heroes. We all cheered as Uraraka slid down from the missile, laughing a she did. I glanced at my teacher, who was staring intensely as the screen with Bakugou and Midoriya. I followed his gaze, eyeing the screen.

As the smoke cleared, Bakugou glared at Midoriya with a mix of pure hatred, outrage, and shock. I could see the outline of Midoriya through the smoke, his arms still raised: one in attack, the other in defense. I winced as the smoke thinned enough for us to get a clear view of Midoriya. His right arm was purple and deformed, obviously broken in a number of places. His left arm, the one he used to block Bakugou's attack, was charred.

The room was silent as a grave as Midoriya swayed on his feet, then began to fall. The silence was broken by All Might whispering.

"You did it…" As Midoriya hit the floor, All Might threw his head back and roared.

"The Hero team...WIIIIIIIIIINS!"

Some kids began to cheer for the winners, while the rest simply murmured softly, concerned for the wellbeing of the combatants, most notably Midoriya. I nudged Kirishima.

"That was completely insane." I said. He nodded without taking his eyes off the screen.

"Just par for the course at U.A. I guess. We're all training to be the best heroes in the world. It makes sense that our classes would be like this."

"But still!" I argued. "That wasn't a class! That was a bare-knuckled-super-powered-brawl! Someone could have died!"

As the words left my mouth, I realized that it wasn't the fight that was bothering me. It was the fighters. All four of them had gone all out, pushing themselves to the limit to win. They had each shown strength, power, and courage. Their fight may have been dangerous, but it was also amazing. They had each fought like realy heroes; it made me feel horribly inadequate. I couldn't blow holes in buildings, or fly through the air. I didn't know if I could fight as ferociously as Bakugou, or stand my ground against overwhelming odds like Midoriya. I clenched my fists, my heart pounding in my chest. I felt so weak.

"Hey, you alright?" Kirishima asked, putting a concerned hand on my shoulder.

"Yeah...fine." I gasped, straightening up. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, struggling to get my breathing and heart rate under control.

"Alright…" Kirishima said. "We're up next, let's hustle over to our building."

"Right behind you." I replied. I struggled to push my own thoughts of doubt and inadequacy away. The last fight may have been amazing, but now it was time for my fight. I refused to be shown up by teams A and D. They had their 15 minutes of fame, now it was our turn. I felt the tension leave my body as I ran to catch up with Kirishima, doubt being replaced by determination.

' _Time to show them what I'm made of._ '

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the slightly longer wait than usual, my bad. But I hoped you liked this chapter, cause I certainly enjoyed writing it. As some of you may have figured out by now, I did replace Koji Koda with my own character, Kokuree Shiamasu in my fic. In this particular mini-arc in the anime/manga, Koji is supposed to be paired up with Rikido Sato, meaning that Shiamasu should have in my story. However, seeing that this is a fanfic, I did take a little creative liberty and switched Hanta Sero from Kirishima's team over to Rikido's team and replaced him with Shiamasu. I did this because I really want to develop the friendship between Shiamasu and Kirishima. I hope you all don't mind the switch. Additionally, you all got a little taste of Shiamasu's own insecurities and fears in this chapter. I just really want Shiamasu to be a believable and relatable character, and not another wish-fulfillment, never loses, babe-magnet, gary stu self-insert that most OC stories turn into.**

 **As for the costume, I got the idea from the story follower Lord Terronus (cheers), and the helmet is the same design as the titan helmet "Crash Helmet" from the video game Destiny.**

 **As usual, thank you all so much for continuing to read and show support for this story, every time I get an alert that I got another review or favorite or follow my heart soars. You all mean the world to me, and I hope you'll continue to support the story. If you're new and liked the story, then please follow or, if you're feeling frisky, favorite it. If you have any comments, criticisms, or praise then feel free to leave a review or send me a PM. Thanks again for reading. See you all on the flipside.**


	7. Super-Powered-Battle-Brawlers part 2

Kirishima and I strategized as we made our way over to Battle Building C, trying to come up with the best plan for defending the weapon. We were facing off against Hero team H: Fumikage Tokoyami and Tsuyu Asui.

"Okay, so neither of our quirks can be used for traps," I began. "Maybe I can run out and fight them when the match starts? Distract them until time runs out."

"No, that won't work. I know you're fast, but I don't think you'd be able to win a 2-on-1." Kirishima argued, shaking his head.

"Then what do you suggest?" I countered.

"I say we let them come to us, then knock the snot out of them!" Kirishima replied, slamming his fist into his palm with a grin. I rubbed my chin thoughtfully.

"That...may work." I eventually said. "Asui's quirk doesn't make her much of a fighter. And Tokoyami's quirk…" I trailed off, suddenly unsure of myself.

"What?" Kirishima asked. "What is it?"

"Tokoyami's quirk…" I said. "Do you remember what it is?"

"Of course!" Kirishima exclaimed. "He can…" Kirishima then followed my example, trailing off with a thoughtful expression. "I mean...his quirk...dark something…" I sighed.

"You don't remember either." I breathed. "Great. That's just what we need."

"Hey back off!" Kirishima said, annoyed. "You're as much to blame here as I am! You seriously don't remember his quirk at all from the quirk test yesterday?"

"I was a little preoccupied!" I snapped, gesturing to my hamstring. "I was flying with clipped wings, remember? What's your excuse?"

Instead of retaliating like I expected him to, Kirishima suddenly grinned, his eyes lighting up.

"Hey that's it!" He exclaimed.

"What are you talking about?"

"His quirk! His quirk is flight!" I frowned.

"I don't think that's right." I said. "I don't remember him flying around during the quirk test."

"Yeah, but you don't remember much of anything from the test, do you? Kirishima countered. "You were, 'a little preoccupied', remember? I'm telling you, his quirk is flight. He even looks like bird! With the feathers and the beak!" I opened my mouth to argue, but closed it after a moment. Kirishima did have a point. I really didn't remember everything from Mr. Aizawa's test, so it was possible that I missed Tokoyami flying around.

' _And he does look like a bird…'_ I admitted in my head. I sighed.

"...I guess…" I said slowly. Kirishima clapped me on the back with a grin.

"Nope, his quirk is definitely flight." He said. "So as long as we're in a room with a low ceiling, we're good! It's in the bag, Shiamasu!"

"Yeah, in the bag…" I said half-heartedly. Regardless of what Tokoyami's quirk really was, team H would only have a max of one fighter anyway, as I couldn't see Asui being much of a threat combat-wise. So, even if Tokoyami's quirk wasn't flight, Kirishima and I would still have a 2-on-1 against him, as Asui could be captured easily.

It wasn't that I didn't think we could win; Kirishima and I both had quirks that made us suited for fights, and I had trained for years to be a hero, and I'm sure Kirishima had been doing the same. What was really bothering me was the lack of reliable intel on our opponents. It irked me that I couldn't come up with a thorough strategy for the exercise because of Tokoyami: the wildcard.

I know that heroes don't always have the luxury of details on the villain they are going to fight. They often have to leap into combat with little-to no intel, and have to rely on their skills and experience to triumph over evil. In a way, my strategizing could almost be seen as a weakness. I've relied so much on having good intel to supplement me in the past, that now that I don't it's proving to be a handicap; throwing me off to the point where I can't concentrate on getting by with what I have.

I shook my head angrily as Kirishima and I entered the building.

' _No time to worry about Tokoyami now.'_ I reprimanded myself. ' _You're going to have to just react to whatever he throws at you.'_ Kirishima and I quickly ascended the building and entered the room that stored the fake weapon that we would be guarding. Kirishima whistled softly.

"Wow," He murmured. "The bomb looked big on screen, but it looks even bigger in person. How much do you think it cost to build a model this big?" I strode over and rapped on the surface of the missile with my knuckles.

"I'd say… about 2000 yen." I replied.

"What?" Kirishima exclaimed. "For a big model like that? That much plastic and metal alone should make it-"

"Not plastic." I cut him off, shaking my head. "Paper mache." I lifted the faux-bomb with one arm to prove my point, hefting it before putting it back down. Kirishima walked over and rubbed the surface for himself, then burst out laughing.

"So U.A. is willing to spend millions and millions of yen building fake cities and killer robots for us to fight, but then go with the cheap stuff for fake bombs?" Kirishima asked in between guffaws. I grinned along with him.

"Maybe they have some kind of arts and crafts hero on staff." I suggested, smiling. This only made Kirishima laugh harder, clutching his sides as he cackled. I began to laugh right along with him, slowly at first and then building up to gut-busting howls as Kirishima's face got redder and redder until it matched the red of his costume.

It wasn't as funny when the lights suddenly went out. Kirishima and I both froze mid-laugh as the ceiling lights went black. The once-bright room was suddenly gloomy and dark, the only light coming from the windows on the other side of the room.

XXXX

Tokoyami closed the circuit breaker door softly, pushing it back into place with a click. Down in the basement, the only source of light was Asui's goggles, which were working as a head mounted-flashlight. He clenched his fists tightly, concentrating on controlling the beast that was roaring inside his body. It could sense the darkness, and it wanted to be free to do as it pleased. It took a lot for Tokoyami to keep it under control. It was a gamble, turning off the lights to the building, but after seeing that first fight he had felt something inside him stirring.

He wanted to go all out like Bakugou and Midoriya did. He wanted to show his classmates that he was just as strong as they were. He turned to his partner.

"Let's head to the weapon room." Tokoyami whispered, his deep baritone oddly fitting for the darkness. "Our opponents will be confused for a brief time, we should strike while we still have that confusion working in our advantage. Asui nodded.

"Ribbit."

XXXX

"What the Hell?" Kirishima whispered. "What happened to the lights? I can barely see anything." I cracked my knuckles and thumbed a button on the side of my helmet, the face plate sliding back down to cover my face. WIth another push of a button, the antennae on the sides of my helmet rotated down so that they were parallel to the ground and flickered on, bright beams of light illuminating the area in front of me.

"Must be the hero team." I said, my voice sounding slightly staticy and synthesized from the mic in my helmet. "They must have shut down the circuit breaker in the basement. You remember it was marked on our map of the building?"

"Yeah," Kirishima said, nodding. "They must have a map too then. Won't take them very long to workout where we are."

"But why shut off the lights?" I asked. "What advantage do they gain from doing that? They must be just as blind as we are." Kirishima shrugged in the darkness.

"Maybe Asui has froggy night-vision or something?" I gnashed my teeth in frustration. Once again, my lack of intel was messing with my head.

' _Froggy night-vision my ass.'_ I thought angrily. ' _This must be for Tokoyami. But why? What does he gain from darkness?'_

I turned to my teammate.

"I'm gonna go see if I can get the power back on." I said. I turned to leave, but he grabbed my arm, shaking his head fiercely.

"No way man!" He protested. "That's probably exactly what they want! To split us up and take us down one at a time. I'd bet that's why they took out the power in the first place, to lure one of us away from the weapon."

"No no, think Kirishima!" I argued. "Why on Earth would they turn off the lights to try to separate us? We're both seasoned fighters, and the darkness wouldn't work in their favor either! This must have something to do with Tokoyami's quirk!"

"How could this have anything to do with Tokoyami's flight?" Kirishima said.

"That's what I'm saying!" I yelled. "His quirk can't be flight! They would have no reason to turn off the power then!"

"Their reason is to split us up!" Kirishima countered, his voice rising to match mine. "Why don't you just listen to me?!"

"Because you're wrong!" I roared. Kirishima's eyes narrowed, and I saw a sheen begin to cover his clenched fists as the soft skin of his hands hardened and turned to rock. Buried beneath the smoldering rage in my mind, the rational side of me urged me to apologize. But it's soft voice was drowned out by the roaring inferno of my anger.

"What, you want to start something with me?" Kirishima asked, his voice dangerously low. I moved a step closer so that our chests were practically touching.

"And what if I do?" I replied. "What are you going to do about it?" Kirishima opened his mouth to reply-

"Ribbit." Kirishima and I whirled around, each of us sinking into fighting stances. I moved my head around, using my headlights to scan the room. As the light swept over the columns in the room, I saw a white-gloved hand move back behind a column. I kept my head moving, but I tapped Kirishima and pointed frantically but quietly to the column that Asui was hiding behind.

He nodded and began to creep in that direction.

"I know you're in here." I said, my voice echoing through the silent room. "Come on out heroes, so we can settle this once and for all!" I added a bit of an evil accent (is that even a thing?) to my voice as I said that last part, my helmet mic distorting it, making it sound even more ominous.

' _Dang, I make a good villain.'_ I thought with a small, self-satisfied smile. I continued my sweep of the room as Kirishima crept closer and closer to the column Asui was hiding behind, careful not to catch him in my light.

As Kirishima closed the distance between him and the column, he raised his hardened hand and looked to me for the all-clear. I gave him a thumbs up, and with a grin he leapt behind the column, his hand raised to deliver a fierce karate chop.

"Dark shadow!" I heard Tokoyami yell. There was a sudden blur of movement from the other side of the room as a dark...something raced across the room towards Kirishima, closing the gap between them so fast that he didn't even have enough time to raise his arms to defend. With a yelp of shock, Kirishima was knocked flying across the room.

"Kirishima!" Was all I had time to say before the dark shape raced towards me. All I saw that registered in my brain was a pair of yellow eyes glinting murderously before my reflexes kicked in. I spun and kicked the thing with my right leg, my steel-reinforced shin connecting with the area beneath the left eye.

The creature screeched in pain and withdrew, slipping back into the shadows of the darker part of the room.

"Kirishima!" I called out. "Are you alright?" I heard a groan and the sound of rubble shifting around.

"I'm okay." He called back, making his way back over to me. He looked a little worse for wear, his arms bruised and scratched up from his flight and consequential collision.

"That thing is fast." He grunted. "Was that Tokoyami?"

"No." A voice called out. Kirishima and I raised our fists as Tokoyami stalked out of the shadows, his boots clicking against the tiled floor. Tokoyami glowered at us, his hands and body hidden beneath an enormous black cloak. "That was not me that attacked you. It was my dark shadow."

Suddenly, Tokoyami's cloak flared back behind him as an enormous black shape manifested behind him. The creature's head was shaped vaguely like Tokoyami's, with yellow eyes that shone with an evil light despite the darkness of the room. The creature also had two massive, clawed hands that were raised towards us. Tokoyami's dark shadow had felt solid when I kicked it, but now its form wavered: like it was made of TV static.

I involuntarily took a step back as I looked at the thing, my body's natural instincts screaming at me that this thing was dangerous. Kirishima held his ground, but I could tell from his body language that dark shadow scared him too.

"I told you his quirk wasn't flight." I muttered. Kirishima rolled his eyes.

"Do you really want to start this again?" He asked, exasperated.

"Just letting you know that I was right."

"Oh shut the fu-"

"Surrender." Tokoyami said, cutting off Kirishima. "You have no chance of beating dark shadow in this darkness." I turned away from my bristling partner and raised my fists, getting ready to fight.

"Yeah, not gonna happen." I replied.

"I second that." Kirishima said. Tokoyami sighed.

"As you wish." He said. "Dark shadow!" With a screech, dark shadow rushed towards Kirishima, claws outstretched. This time though, Kirishima was ready and was able to bring up his arms to defend himself. Dark shadow swiped at Kirishima, its black claws scratching Kirishima's hardened arms. Kirishima fought back, knocking aside one of dark shadow's hands before delivering a thundering right hook to its face. Dark shadow wailed and pulled back and began to circle Kirishima like a predator.

" _I'm going to tear those annoying little arms of yours out of your sockets, human!"_ Dark shadow hissed.

"No dark shadow, I command you to be calm!" Tokoyami yelled. Dark shadow only snarled in reply and kept circling Kirishima.

I moved to help, but suddenly saw a flash of green out of the corner of my eye as Asui leapt out from behind a column and jumped like a frog towards the missile.

"Boost: Level 2!" I yelled, whipping around and taking off after Asui as she hopped towards the weapon. I slammed into her at 80 mph, wrapping my arms around her and rolling away from the paper mache bomb. I landed on top of her, my knees pressed against her thighs and my hands holding her arms down.

"Surrender, hero!" I yelled triumphantly.

"Hmmmm." Asui mused. "How about no." As she said no her tongue suddenly flew out of her mouth and wrapped around my neck, squeezing like a moist and squishy python. My hands flew to my neck, my fingers struggling to get a firm grip on Asui's slippery tongue. As I struggled to take a breath, my eyes widened to unreal proportions as I felt Asui lift me up off her with her tongue and fling me aside.

I landed on my side, choking and gasping for breath. Asui dusted herself off and took out a roll of capture tape.

"You really taste terrible Shiamasu." Asui said. "So sweaty and sour." I struggled to my feet, still wheezing and wiping the saliva off my neck.

"Jeez Asui," I said. "You could at least take me out for coffee before wrapping your tongue around my neck like that. People could start to talk." Like I hoped, Asui's face turned bright red and she began to blush, unsure of how to respond.

I took advantage of her momentary confusion to dart towards her. Her eyes widened and she shot her tongue at me again, but this time I was ready for it, and my enhanced speed and cognitive ability made it easy to avoid her tongue as it shot towards my face. As it passed harmlessly over my shoulder, I closed the distance between her and I in a few incredibly quick strides. Then, while her tongue was still outside her mouth, I punched her underneath her chin, causing her to chomp down on her tongue quite hard.

Now, I wanted to win, but I'm not a monster. I pulled my punch enough so that it still hurt quite a bit, and she did bite down on her tongue hard enough for her to screech in pain and draw blood, but she didn't bite clean through her tongue. Asui fell to her knees, tears rolling down her cheeks as she tenderly held her bleeding tongue. A good 3 feet of it was still outside her mouth, and lay still on the floor like a piece of rope.

I winced as her wails continued, my small feeling of victory at my successful attack quickly being replaced by remorse. I whipped the capture tape out of my utility belt and began to tie Asui up as fast as I could.

"I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry-" I said over and over again as I tied her up. "We'll take you to Recovery girl as soon as this fight is over. I'm sorry I'm sorry." I stood up and looked down on my injured classmate, unsure of what to do next. I kneaded my hands together and shifted uncomfortably as Asui kept massaging her tongue, tears still dripping down her face.

I was violently broken out of my stupor by Kirishima as he flew through the air and collided with me, sending us both to the floor. We helped each other up and stood to face Tokoyami and dark shadow, who were making their way over to us. Kirishima was breathing heavily, and had claw marks gouged into his arms. One eye was swollen closed, and sweat plastered his normally spiky red hair to his head.

"You look like Hell." I said. He chuckled and raised his fists.

"You should... see the other guy." He panted. I knew it was just an expression, but I did steal a glance at Tokoyami and dark shadow. Dark shadow looked the same as he did when the fight started, albeit a little angrier. He hovered behind his handler, hissing and glaring at the two of us. Tokoyami however...he didn't look too good.

He was panting just as much as Kirishima was, and looked a bit unsteady on his feet. He as looking at us, but he wasn't seeing us. He was concentrated on something else. Dark shadow suddenly lunged forward and Tokoyami grunted and screwed his face tightly. Dark shadow yelped like a dog being yanked back by a leash and returned to its original position, its darkness bristling.

"Be calm, dark shadow." Tokoyami said. "Those are our classmates. You cannot kill them." Dark shadow only hissed and narrowed its eyes, leering at us. Tokoyami then turned his attention to us.

"I'll ask one last time," He said. "Surrender." Kirishima and I didn't respond, and instead raised our fists and sank into fighting stances. Tokoyami sighed.

"Remember...I warned you." He said. Dark shadow struck while Tokoyami was still talking, racing towards us silent as death. Kirishima punched dark shadow's outstretched hand is it reached for him, knocking it aside. I ducked under the hand coming for me and jumped in the air, lashing out at dark shadow with a kick that doubled as a back flip, slamming my shin-plates into dark shadow's forearm. I landed on my feet and rolled as dark shadow brought its hand down like a hammer, smashing the floor where I was a fraction of a second before.

The fight continued like that for a few more minutes, Kirishima and I attacking dark shadow and then avoiding or blocking its counter attack. Of course, that didn't always work. One of my shin plates had been smashed and ripped off by dark shadow's claws and I had a massive contusion on one arm. My extra speed helped me out here, and I was in much better shape than Kirishima.

My partner looked dead on his feet, his breath ragged. His arms and chest were covered in scratches, some of which oozed blood. He held up his right arm weakly, and he couldn't move his left arm at all.

Dark shadow would hiss and growl in pain whenever we landed hits, but other than that he seemed invulnerable. His shadowy form took no visible damage from our attacks, and he only seemed to get faster as the fight went on.

Tokoyami was the real enigma. He just hung back and let dark shadow do all of the fighting, but as the fight went on he looked more and more haggard. My supercharged brain raced to come up with a viable strategy for winning, as well as determine the reason for Tokoyami's state. It would have been easier, but I also had to concentrate on not getting killed by dark shadow.

' _Okay, there's only about 2 minutes or so left in this fight, so Tokoyami-DUCK-has to make his move soon.'_ I thought. ' _Why isn't Tokoyami himself attacking? And why-JAB JAB ROLL KICK-does he look so exhausted?'_

That's when it hit me, and in the fraction of a second that the realization hit me dark shadow saw my state and raised both its claws at me.

"Dark shadow!" Tokoyami yelled. Dark shadow screeched and leapt away as if stung. I grinned, sweat dripping down my face under my helmet.

"That clinches it." I said, straightening up. "This whole time it's been bothering me: why haven't you attacked yourself Tokoyami? And why do you look exhausted, even though you've been on the sidelines this whole time?" I gestured to dark shadow, who hissed at me.

"It's because you're too busy controlling dark shadow, isn't it." Tokoyami didn't reply, which I only took as encouragement. "This whole time you've been concentrating on dark shadow, devoting all of your attention to keeping him from tearing us apart. Just then, you kept him from attacking me, even though I was wide open. That's why you can't attack yourself. It's because if you do, there won't be anything stopping dark shadow from killing us both. And you look so exhausted because dark shadow may be a sentient creature, but he's still your quirk, and he's still tied to your body somehow. My guess: his energy is bound to yours somehow. You supply him with energy when he manifest outside your body. And based on your state, I'd day he doesn't have very much time left, does he?"

Tokoyami didn't reply immediately, him and his psychotic pet just glared at me. I glared right back, neither of us giving an inch. Then, he chuckled, and dark shadow retreated under his cloak, presumably back into his body.

"I must say, I'm impressed." Tokoyami said. "That was a very impressive analysis of my quirk and of dark shadow. Really, I must applaud you Shiamasu."

"Thank you." I said, tapping my head. "Part of my quirk is enhanced cognitive ability on top of my super speed." Tokoyami nodded appreciatively.

"A very fine quirk indeed." He said. "It's just too bad that you couldn't analyze your partner as well." I paused, my mind racing, trying to figure out what he meant.

"What are you-?" I began. I heard Kirishima moan suddenly, and I turned my head just in time to see his eyes roll back in his head as he collapsed, exhaustion and pain finally getting the best of him. My eyes widened in shock and I instinctively stepped forward to help my teammate. I realized my mistake immediately, and my body warned me of the danger before I saw it. I had enough time to cross my arms to block as dark shadow slammed into me, knocking me into the air and pinning me against a column with impossibly strong hands. I struggled fiercely, kicking and squirming. Dark shadow hissed at me and tightened its grip on me, squeezing me like a toy.

" _Don't struggle or I'll tear your head off."_ It said with a snarl. I could only watch helplessly as Tokoyami strode over to the weapon and lay a hand on its side. I lowered my head in shame as the building's P.A. system crackled to life, All Might's voice loudly proclaiming the winners to be the hero team.

"I failed." I said bitterly as dark shadow dropped me and returned to its host's body. I punched the floor, anger and self loathing filling my body. I felt like screaming. I felt like punching a wall. I felt like crying. But most of all, I felt like a failure. I couldn't beat Tokoyami, even when it was a 2-on-1. If I couldn't do that, then there was no way I was ever going to be better than Bakugou or Midoriya or Todoroki or Iida, or anyone else.

It was a good thing I had my helmet on. At least the cameras couldn't see my tears. I felt the black cloud of despair start to settle over me when a pair of black boots suddenly came into view. I looked up to see Tokoyami standing in front of me, his hand outstretched.

"You fought well, Shiamasu." He said. I snickered.

"Yeah right." I growled. "If I had fought well then I would have beaten you."

"You may not have won the match, but you did prove yourself to be a worthy hero-to-be." Tokoyami replied. "Your analysis of my quirk was extremely impressive, and if Kirishima hadn't gone down when he did, the match would have been yours." I looked up then, still angry but also a little intrigued.

"Why do you say that?" I asked. Tokoyami smiled, a strange expression to see on a beak.

"Because you were right when you said dark shadow didn't have much longer. I was at the end of my strength, and it took all I had left to rush you when you were distracted by Kirishima fainting. Not a very fair move, but it was all I could do. I didn't have the energy left in me to continue to fight one of you, let alone both of you at once. So you see? You may not have won, but you proved yourself today."

I gazed up at Tokoyami, then took his hand and let him pull me to my feet. As I rose from the floor, I felt the anger and self pity drain from my body. I thumbed the button on my helmet and the face plate slid up. Tokoyami looked taken back as he saw my expression of deep gratitude. I bowed to him, bent deeply at the waist.

"Thank you Tokoyami." I said. "Thank you." Tokoyami didn't reply, and instead grabbed one of Kirishima's arms.

"We can save that for later." He said. "For now just help me get Kirishima and Asui out of here." I chuckled and grabbed Kirishima's other arm.

"Will do."

XXXXXXX

Unfortunately, the four of us missed the rest of the fights since we all had to go to recovery girl for our injuries. She tutted when she saw the state we were in.

"You kids need to be more careful!" She scolded in between kisses of healing. "It's bad enough that I have to deal with Midoriya and Shiamasu here for the second day in a row, but now I have to deal with you three as well!" She said, turning to Kirishima, Tokoyami, and Asui, who hung their heads in shame.

"We're sorry." We chorused, bowing to recovery girl. She sighed and dug around in her pockets.

"Oh it's fine." She said. "It is my job to heal you when you get hurt, I just wish they'd go easier on you kids is all. Here, take some candy and get back to class. All Might must be wondering where you are by now."

The four of us each took a piece of candy and thanked recovery girl again before taking our leave. We walked back to class together, shoulder to shoulder. I ended up next to Asui, a coincidence which made me extremely nervous. I had hurt her pretty bad during the fight, and I still felt bad. Also, I hadn't noticed during the fight, but Asui was kind of cute in a curvy, froggy kind of way. Beads of cold sweat ran down my back as the four of us walked in silence.

I practically ran down the hallway and out of the school when Asui suddenly cleared her throat and turned to look at me.

"Hey Shiamasu," She began.

"Yes-" I coughed, my voice cracking. "Yes Asui?"

"Does my tongue look swollen to you?" She asked, sticking out her tongue. I was taken back, bewildered at her bizarre question and consequential action. I couldn't help but stare at the tongue that was wrapped around my neck hardly 30 minutes earlier.

"Umm...no it looks fine to me." I stammered. She furrowed her eyebrows.

"Oh come on, you hardly looked." She said. Then, quick as a whip, her tongue wrapped around my face and eyes, causing me to scream and clutch my face. I pawed at her tongue as it ran across my head, leaving a trail of saliva in my hair and on my face.

"How abou noh?" She asked as I continued to scream and claw at her tongue. It slithered along my face like an eel, coating my eyes and nose with a thick film of warm saliva. My muffled screams quickly became chokes as saliva began to run down my nose and open mouth. I collapsed as Asui retracted her tongue, shaking violently and throwing up the copious amount of Asui's spit that I had ingested.

Kirishima roared with laughter, tears streaming down his face as he clutched his sides. His laughter echoed up and down the empty halls, filling the air with his mirth. Even Tokoyami began to chuckle as I staggered to my feet, my eyes wide as dinner plates.

"What THE HELL was that?!" I demanded. Asui, looking calm and collected, simply shrugged.

"That was for making me bite my tongue earlier." She replied. I inhaled and exhaled violently, clenching and unclenching my fists. I opened my mouth to reprimand her...but sighed and unclenched my fists.

"I guess...I deserved that." I admitted. Asui gave a quick little nod and stuck out her hand.

"Now we're even." She said. I sighed and shook her hand with a small smile.

"Now we're even." I agreed. "Is your tongue really okay though?"

"Yep, good as new thanks to recovery girl." She replied.

"Well isn't this great?" Kirishima said, wrapping his arms around my and Asui's shoulders. "All of our differences have been put aside, and we've grown closer through the trial of combat. I'd say this is the start of a beautiful friendship between the four of us."

Tokoyami looked up at us suddenly, as if surprised to hear himself included. His eyes darted around, searching for a possible other person that Kirishima could have been referring to.

"Yes, I meant you Tokoyami." Kirishima chuckled. "Get over here, bird brain." Tokoyami strode over and held out his hand to shake, but Kirishima knocked it aside. With a startled squawk of protest from Tokoyami, Kirishima pulled him close to include him in the group hug. Tokoyami struggled briefly, but gave up when he realized he was no match for Kirishima's bulging biceps of love.

"Um guys?" I said. "This is nice and all, but we should really get back to class before we're missed."

"Agreed." Tokoyami said, pulling free from the embrace.

"Let's get going." Asui said, taking the lead with Tokoyami. Kirishima and I brought up the rear, walking side by side. I took a deep breath.

' _Let's do this.'_ I thought, turning to Kirishima.

"Hey man," I began. "I just wanted to apologize for earlier, back at the test. I was a huge jerk, and I shouldn't have been such a know-it-all. I was out of line, and I'm sorry."

"Yeah, you were being a jerk." Kirishima said, confirming my fears. My heart sank as I realized that I had already pushed away my first friend at U.A., and there was no taking back what I did. I hung my head in shame and self-loathing.

"But, I totally understand why you were acting that way." Kirishima continued. I started and looked back up at Kirishima, who was grinning at me. "You were just fired up from the first fight, and wanted to win." He said. "I don't blame you for getting caught up in the heat of the moment. Hell, I was being a jerk too. We're both to blame, so why don't we just keep moving forward and forget about it. What do you say, buddy?"

Laughing I punched his arm.

"Deal." I said. He laughed too, and we began to jog to catch up to Asui and Tokoyami, who had pulled ahead of us while we were talking.

"Just so you know though," Kirishima said suddenly, a massive grin taking shape on his face. "I totally would have kicked your ass if you tried to fight me."

"Oh ho, is that so?" I said, laughing. "Big talk for a small man."

"Who are you calling small?" Kirishima retorted, flexing his muscles. "You're the one who needs to hit the gym friendo."

"Hey, having enormous muscles just slows you down!" I countered. "My quirk is super speed, I need to be as aerodynamic as possible!"

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say shrimpamasu."

"WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"

Kirishima guffawed and took off, and I ran after him, laughing as I chased my friend through the bright hallways of U.A. High.

 **Hey guys! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and thanks so much for reading it. As usual, if you like this story then please please please let me know by following and/or favoriting this story. If you have any questions, comments, criticisms, or praise then please PM me or leave a review of the story. If you didn't like this chapter, or didn't like certain aspects of it, then please let me know. My writing can't improve if you guys don't let me know what I should change! Oh, last thing. Do any of you have any suggestions for some cover art for this fic? I feel like some cool cover art would help attract additional readers.**

 **Anyway, thanks again for all the support, I love you all! See you on the flipside.**


	8. A Lunch to Remember

I spent the train ride to my third day at U.A. shifting in my seat uncomfortably, staring out at the scenery as the train zoomed along the tracks. The early morning sun painted the landscape in a soft golden hue and the dew made the flaura glitter like jewels. The sky was clear, and a faint breeze made the leaves on the trees dance happily. You could tell just by looking that it would be a warm day, not too hot nor too cold. It was a picture-perfect morning. Normally I loved train rides like these, but today looking out the window just made me sick, and the seat felt unbearably lumpy to me. I shifted, tossing my phone between my hands.

I tried scrolling through my phone, but put it away in disgust after a minute, the screen bringing my motion-sickness back with a vengeance. I shifted again and leaned my head against the window, closing my eyes with a sigh. It only took a fraction of a second for the events of last night to begin to replay in my mind, the backs of my eyelids acting like screens for my own personal viewing displeasure. I tried to think about something else, but my thoughts kept returning to last night. Eventually I just gave up and let the replay happen. Last night, after I had gotten back from school, my parents and I sat down and had a talk.

Back when I was younger, I was tormented by a young boy my age named Sumisu. He despised me, and leapt at every opportunity to make my life a living Hell. His bullying ranged from verbal abuse to physical assault of every kind. My young brain took the punishment and absorbed it like a sponge, internalizing every word and punch and twisting it into something grotesque. It didn't take long after the bullying began for the nightmares to start.

The bullying may not have had such a severe effect on me if I had felt safe somewhere besides in the arms of one of my teachers, Miss Harioka. Maybe if I had another safe space, I could have withstood Sumisu's constant torment a little bit better. The only problem was, I didn't have another safe space, as even my own home was haunted by Sumisu's shadow.

After a few weeks of constant torture, my dreams began to be haunted by a monstrous beast: a demonic wolf. The hellish creature was there whenever I closed my eyes at night, hunting me through the dark and decrepit halls of a school that my mind created. Every night I would lay awake, trembling and fighting sleepiness, the beast waiting for me to join it within my mind. And every night that I lost the battle with sleep, it would be there, hungry for my bones and flesh, thirsty for my blood. I've lived my own death countless times, each death more gruesome and painful than the last. After having my innards chewed on, my throat torn out, my neck snapped, my heart swallowed, I almost believed that death wouldn't be so bad as long as it wasn't at the claws of that wolf.

The recurring nightmares at home coupled with Sumisu's bullying at school left me fragile and weak, constantly living in fear of the next attack, whether it be in reality or in my mind. I became a husk of my old self, merely existing without thought or emotion. I drifted lifelessly from home to school and back to home, only coming alive at night as I fought a losing battle with my own body. In my worst moments, I thought I would hear a faint scratching of claws against tile, or see a monstrous shadow out of the corner of my eye, or catch a whiff of its scent. It was enough to nearly drive me insane. Had I continued to live like that, I'm sure that my mind would have eventually collapsed from the constant 1-2 combo of fear and anxiety.

But, after my confrontation with Sumisu and the awakening of my quirk, the nightmares stopped. Sumisu was gone, and the demon that had haunted me went with him. I had defeated them. I was free. That freedom and my newfound power gave me the strength I needed to tell my parents everything about Sumisu and the nightmares. They signed me up for therapy immediately, and I went 2 days a week for three years, until I was 11 and my therapist told my parents that I no longer needed it.

My parents agreed, but on the one condition that I tell them if I ever started having those recurring nightmares again. We made an agreement: if I began having nightmares again, I was to tell them. If I had 5 within a month that involved the demonic wolf from my childhood, then I had to go back to therapy.

Well, the nightmare from the other night made it the 5th one this month, which meant that I had to go back to therapy. My parents sat me down and questioned me for hours, trying to get to the bottom of why the nightmares had begun again. I did my best to stay patient with them as the night went on, but in the end I snapped and the discussion broke down into a screaming match.

I groaned inwardly as I remembered all of the things I said last night, guilt eating at me like maggots on a corpse. It made me sick to my stomach to have treated my parents so disrespectfully, but I hadn't been able to help it at the time. My mother had suggested that my dream of being a hero was causing it, and suggested that I should reconsider my choice of high school. That had sent me toppling over the edge. We yelled at each other for a good while before my dad broke us up and ended the conversation, sending me to my room to do my homework.

I hadn't meant to get so intense, but the mere suggestion of ending my dream of being a hero was just unthinkable to me. It was so outlandish that I couldn't even entertain the thought, and it made me anxious to be so against my mom. That anxiety made my morning commute nearly unbearable as the guilt made my stomach churn.

And then there was that damned feeling.

It was like I was being watched, but more intimately than that. It wasn't just that someone was looking at me: whoever it was was glowering at me, looking at me with so much hate that it almost felt tangible. It made my skin crawl: that feeling of having a crosshairs aimed at me.

My eyelids slid back open and I scanned the crowded train car for what felt like the millionth time, my eyes darting across each other passenger's face in the hopes that I'd catch the one responsible for setting me so on edge.

I didn't meet a single pair of eyes. The other passengers were either sleeping, staring out the window, or were concentrating on their phone or other mobile device. No one stood out as the culprit. I leaned back in my seat with a sigh, frustrated that I still couldn't pin down the source of all the negative energy being sent at me.

I spent the rest of the train ride shifting in my seat sullenly, my emotions bouncing between guilt and frustration like a pinball.

XXXX

The black cloud of guilt that hung over me followed me off the train and accompanied me on my walk to U.A., trailing along after me like a puppy. I scowled at the ground, angry at everything and nothing, at everyone and at no one. I stomped and slouched forward, my hands wedged deep into my pockets. I sighed heavily with nearly every breath, muttering obscenities as I walked.

To put it simply, I was an angsty teenager.

I was so lost in my own head that I didn't even hear Kirishima call out to me as I walked, and only noticed him when he ran up to me and slapped the back of my head. I whirled around angrily, my teeth bared in a snarl, the curse sitting in the back of my throat. When I saw that it was just Kirishima who had hit me, I sighed and let the angry expression slide off my face, swallowing the exclamation of outrage that I was about to let loose. I unclenched my fists and regarded my classmate, rubbing the back of my head irritably.

"Why'd you do that?" I asked. He chuckled and grinned.

"Well good morning to you too sunshine." I replied. "I called to you back there, didn't you hear me yelling to wait up?"

"Oh, sorry." I mumbled. "I was just thinking about some stuff, I didn't hear you calling." He harrumphed and fell into step with me, walking right at my side.

"Not listening to your friends?" He began. "Not very manly if you ask me."

"Yeah yeah, sorry." I said, rolling my eyes. We walked in silence for a block or so, my sullen attitude making any kind of conversation impossible. Finally, Kirishima groaned and turned his head to look at me.

"Seriously, what's up with you?" He asked. "You aren't usually like this." My first instinct was to brush him off or dodge the question and I turned to give him a generic excuse, but paused when I saw his expression. He was looking at me intently, waiting for my response with genuine concern in his eyes. As I looked into his eyes, I felt the icy shell that I had built around me crack and shatter, the black cloud dissipating as the angsty tension left my body. I gave Kirishima a small smile.

"Sorry man, I was just in a bit of a funk." I said. "I had a huge fight with my parents last night, and this morning I felt sick on the train ride. I'm sorry for acting like a jerk." I concluded sincerely. Kirishima nodded and put his arm around my shoulder.

"Hey man, no worries." He said. "You sure you're good though?" I grinned.

"Yeah, I'm good." I answered. He returned my grin, then began to noogie me mercilessly. I made a sound that was somewhere in between a laugh, curse, and exclamation of shock as Kirishima dragged his knuckles across my scalp, digging the bony joints of his hand into my skull. I struggled violently, my bookbag flying off my shoulders as I bucked and struggled to throw Kirishima off me. I swung my elbow back, but Kirishima leapt away with a laugh and began to jog away.

"Better move your ass or you'll be late for class!" Kirishima called over his shoulder, still laughing as I rubbed my tender scalp with one hand and collected my bag with the other. I slung my bag over my shoulders and tightened the straps as tight as they could go. I bent over and tightened my shoes, watching as Kirishima ran further and further away.

' _Laugh all you want my friend.'_ I thought, sinking into a starting stance.

"Boost: Level 1!" I yelled, taking off after Kirishima. Kirishima, having heard my yell, turned his head to look as I accelerated to 45 mph. The laughter died in his throat as I cut the distance between us down in seconds, eating up ground like a hungry mole. I began to smile as I caught up to him, laughing as he pumped his arms harder and harder to keep his lead. His eyes widened with shock as I blew past him, my shoes slapping against the pavement as I sped up the hill to U.A.

I heard him yell indignantly at me, but his words were snatched away by the wind as I ran and all I heard was a muffled exclamation as I left the redheaded wonder in the dust.

XXX

I released my quirk as I walked into class, allowing Boost to drain from my body as I shuffled to my seat in the second row and sat down. It felt like energy was being physically removed from my body, and I felt my brain begin to numb and I panted like I had just run a full marathon. I felt like a tired, wet noodle. That being said, I wasn't in any physical pain, and my brain would recover in 15 minutes or so. Until then all I had to do was sit there and hope that I wasn't called on or otherwise addressed.

Kirishima came in a few minutes after me, gasping with sweat dripping down his face as he made his way into the classroom. He let his bag slide off his shoulders and he collapsed into his seat, his tongue hanging out of his mouth like a dog as he struggled for breath.

"Are you okay Kirishima?" Uraraka asked, concerned. "You look terrible, are you sick?"

"Illness in class?" Iida exclaimed. "That cannot do! You'll infect the rest of the class, rendering learning and training impossible! How could you bring your filthy germs here? Don't you care about the class at all?"

Kirishima held up his hand for quiet, and lifted his head.

"I'm-gasp-not sick." Kirishima said, still struggling to get his air back. "I was just-wheeze-in a race-pant-that's all."

"Who were you racing?" Uraraka asked. "No one else came in with you…" Kirishima lifted his finger and pointed at me, glowering.

"Him." He said. I grinned goofily and waved as they all turned to look at me.

"Hey guys." I slurred. "I'm th' winnerrr." Iida looked aghast, he probably thought I was on something. Uraraka covered her hand with her mouth and laughed. I tried to laugh with her, but laughing hurt my sore brain and I had to lay my forehead against the cool surface of my desk to sooth my head.

At that moment Mr. Aizawa walked in, sending the class scurrying to their seats.

"Mornin' Mr. Aizawa." I mumbled, setting my head back down on the desk.

Mr. Aizawa raised an eyebrow when he saw the state I was in, but didn't comment, which I was grateful for. I didn't think my fried brain would be able to withstand an interrogation from our cold homeroom teacher.

I dozed off as Mr. Aizawa began to read the morning announcements, his emotionless drone lulling me into a state of half-sleep. I could hear the class around me, but I didn't pay any attention to what was happening. Thankfully, Mr. Aizawa didn't particularly care that I was asleep in his class. As far as he was concerned, I was the only one who would suffer from not paying attention, not him.

Besides, he liked to nap during class too.

Just as I was starting to truly nod off into a deeper sleep, I was roused by a sudden explosive increase in volume as everyone in the class began to yell at once. I looked around owlishly, blearily trying to figure out what was going on. My brain still needed a few more minutes to recover fully, and couldn't fully process what everyone was yelling about. The entire class was on its feet, pointing to themselves and yelling.

' _Something about representatives?'_ I thought sluggishly. ' _Representing what?'_

Suddenly, Iida's voice rang out, cutting through the din and successfully bringing the class back to normal.

"We will hold an election to choose our leader!" Iida declared, standing with his hand raised in the air. My exhausted brain felt inspired by his pose and speech, and felt obligated to speak on his behalf.

"Yeah, you tell 'em Iida!" I yelled, earning a few glares and snickers from my classmates. I chuckled nervously. "Woops, sorry." I said, sitting back down. I hadn't even realized I had stood up. The logical part of my brain reprimanded the fried part of my brain for being so rude and obnoxious, gaining strength as my brain recovered from the use of my quirk. Everyone wrote down their vote on a scrap of paper, which Iida collected and then counted, writing up the tallies on the board as he counted each vote.

Needless to say, he was heartbroken when he saw that he only had one vote. He clenched his fist, striken with grief and frustration as we all read the results. Midoriya won the election with 3 votes. Yaoyorozu, the busty black-haired girl who had gotten into U.A. on recommendation, won deputy with two votes.

I glanced at Iida apologetically as Bakugou began to yell in rage, furious that he lost while Midoriya won.

' _Sorry Iida.'_ I thought. ' _You had my vote at least.'_ Mr. Aizawa woke up for just long enough to formally appoint Midoriya and Yaoyorozu as reps before falling back to sleep. Midoriya was shaking in his shoes as he stood before the class, obviously unsure of how he won. Yaoyorozu just looked bored, and maybe a little frustrated that Midoriya had garnered more votes than her.

My classmates began to talk amongst themselves as our new reps took their seats, the general consensus being that Midoriya and Yaoyorozu weren't bad choices for the job. I had my doubts that Midoriya was up for the job, but I kept my mouth shut. I was never really one for loudly voicing my opinion.

The rest of our morning classes dragged on, as boring classes tend to do. Luckily for me, by the time our class election was over with my brain had recovered, so I was able to concentrate in my other classes. By the time the bell rang for lunch, I had had just about as much school as I could take for the day. That being said, I couldn't help but grin as I stowed my notebook and pencil in my bag. The food cooked by Lunch Rush, the culinary hero, was fantastic and made for a memorable mealtime experience. Not only that, but right after lunch we had Heroing 101, the class that we all looked forward to the most.

"Hey Shiamasu!" I heard Kirishima call out as I made my way into the hall. I turned, waiting for Kirishima to exit the class. "Let's go find Kaminari and Tokoyami." He said.

"Good plan." I replied, following Kirishima as he lead the way to Lunch Rush's eatery. Officially, the massive room that we all ate in was, technically, a cafeteria. However, calling Lunch Rush's eatery to a cafeteria would be like calling an aircraft carrier a boat.

It was an enormous room, with long tables arranged vertically down the room. Comfortable booth style seats lined the tables, and each row was separated by a wall of fresh potted plants. The walls lining the sides of the dining area were made of glass, and allowed plenty of natural light to fill the room with a soft but bright light. As soon as I walked into the eatery my nose was greeting with a delightful combination of smells. The tang of spices, the sugary-sweetness of baked goods, the greasy heat of meat being grilled and stewed, the refreshing coolness of fresh vegetables: all of these scents merged and blended to create a symphony of smells for my nose to enjoy. Some older kids even said that you could walk in hungry and leave full just from smelling the food. Lunch wasn't just a meal at U.A.; it was an experience.

Kirishima and I managed to snag Kaminari and Tokoyami in the food line, and we all took our plates and sat down together near the rest of our class. We talked while we ate, laughing and joking around, just enjoying each others company. Kirishima dominated the conversation with a seemingly bottomless supply of jokes and epic stories about his favorite all time hero: Crimson Riot.

"And then, just as the building was beginning to totter and fall, Crimson Riot was able to-"

"Hang on Kirishima." Kaminara suddenly said, cutting off Kirishima mid-sentence. "I hate to interrupt, but I think there is a far more important matter that we have to discuss."

"What could be more important than Crimson Riot?" Kirishima asked, flabbergasted that someone would find something to talk about that was more important than Crimson Riot's 3rd greatest escape story.

"My friend, this concerns the very thing which makes us men!" Kaminari declared, raising his fist to his heart. "Women!"

"Oh lord." I said, rolling my eyes, but not necessarily disinterested.

"Wha-!" Kirishima exclaimed before being shushed by Kaminari.

"Guys, come on." Kaminari said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Just look around you! We're surrounded by the best, brightest, bustiest, most amazing girls this country has to offer! It would be criminal not to try to date them!" Kirishima scoffed, folding his arms.

"Come on Kaminari, get real." He said. "How could you be thinking about dating already? We've only been here 3 days. It's too soon to know who's eligible." Kaminari sniffed and turned to me.

"Come on Shiamasu, you agree with me right?" He asked hopefully. I chuckled nervously and twiddled my fingers.

"Erm… I guess I-"

Suddenly, alarms began ringing all over the school, causing a chorus of surprised shouts and exclamations from the students and staff alike.

"WARNING: LEVEL 3 SECURITY BREACH. ALL STUDENTS EVACUATE THE BUILDING IN AN ORDERLY FASHION." The alarms blared. The four of us looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"What's a level 3 security breach?!" I yelled, trying to make myself heard over the clamor of alarms and panicked students.

"Someone has broken into the school." Tokoyami roared back, climbing to his feet.

"Are they villains?!" Kirishima yelled.

"We gotta get out of here!" Kaminari practically shrieked, throwing his chair back in his haste. I grabbed his arm to keep him from bolting.

"Stay calm!" I yelled into Kaminari's ear, struggling to make myself heard over the rapidly increasing din. Kaminari froze like a frightened rabbit, his eyes darting around wildly. I shook him to get his attention and pointed to the enormous mob of students that had congregated around the exit. The throng surged back and forth like a stormy sea, tossing the students caught in the middle back and forth as everyone tried to run through the exit at once. Everyone was screaming and yelling in a horrible combination of pain and panic.

"If we try to leave now we'll be trampled!" I yelled. "We have to wait for the crowd to thin a little bit! Just stay calm!" Miraculously, my words managed to penetrate through the fog of panic that had clouded Kaminari's mind, and he calmed down a little bit. I sighed in relief and looked across the table to Kirishima and Tokoyami.

"Just wait!" I yelled to them. They both nodded and we all gazed helplessly as the panicked mob continued to grow in size, powerless to calm the frightened students. I looked to Kirishima and started.

He looked determined, staring at the crowd of panicked students. His eyes shone with purpose, and I knew exactly what he was going to do next.

"Oh no you don-" I started to say, reaching for his arm. He knocked my hand away and darted towards the throng of people, waving his arms and yelling.

"Stay calm!" Was all I was able to hear him say before his words were swallowed up by the cacophony of panicked screams. I groaned and pushed my hair back with my hand, cursing Kirishima for his blind sense of heroism. I tugged on Kaminari's arm.

"New plan!" I yelled. "We have to go help Kirishima before he gets crushed!" Tokoyami nodded, but Kaminari looked ready to bolt.

"I thought you said we should wait!" Kaminari argued.

"That was before Kirishima decided to play hero!" I countered, tugging Kaminari along behind me. "We have to go help him!" I heard Kaminari moan behind me, but he stopped fighting me and began to run alongside Tokoyami and I.

We paused at the edge of the crowd, all of us searching for Kirishima. My eyes swept over the crowd, scanning for some sign from Kirishima.

"There!" Kaminari exclaimed, diving into the crowd. My head whipped around and I managed to see a flash of Kirishima's pointy red hair before the crowd shifted and he was gone. Tokoyami and I charged in right behind Kaminari, trying to follow him as he cut a path through the throng.

As soon as I pushed my way into the crowd I lost sight of Tokoyami and Kaminari as the panicked students swallowed us up. I was thrown back and forth in the sea of bodies, crying out in pain as I was elbowed, kicked, and slammed by the horde. I hardly had room to breath, let alone move. I tried shoving my way through, but I was shoved back just as hard. I put my head down and kept moving, heading in the general direction of Kirishima inch by inch. For a moment, the crowd around me thinned and I was able to catch a glimpse of Kirishima and Kaminari standing together a mere 10 yards away. They had their hands up and appeared to be trying to calm the mob of panicked students, but their words were lost amongst the screams and curses.

I raised my hands and yelled to try to get their attention, but neither of them noticed. I cried out in dismay as the mob surged forward and I saw my two friends get swallowed up in the crowd like fishing boats in a hurricane. I watched helplessly as my friends were swept away, carried off away from me. At that moment, my visions exploded into a curtain of stars as I was viciously elbowed in the back of the head. I tried to grab onto the kid in front of me for balance, but they shook me off and I felt myself start to go down.

' _No…'_ I cried out internally as the ground rushed up to meet me. ' _If I fall, I'll be trampled to death.'_ But it was no use, I was too far gone. I grunted in frustration and panic as I hit the ground. I tried to climb to my feet, but it was impossible. I was stepped on and kicked by the horde of panicked students who were all too frightened to notice what it was they were stepping on. I curled up into a ball and screwed my eyes shut as the forest of feet continued to pound me without mercy.

"LISTEN UP, EVERYTHING IS OKAY!" I head Iida roar. My eyes widened in shock, astounded that I could hear Iida over the roar of the mob. Everyone froze, just as shocked as I was. I took that moment of calm to leap to my feet, sore and bruised but otherwise unharmed. I followed the eyes of the crowd and saw Iida perched on the exit sign above our heads, yelling down at us.

"IT'S JUST THE MEDIA OUTSIDE!" He continued. "THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT! EVERYTHING IS FINE! WE'RE U.A. STUDENTS; WE NEED TO PROVE THAT WE'RE THE BEST OF THE BEST!"

Iida's words were exactly what everyone needed to hear, and there was a collective sigh of relief as the crowd began to relax. The police arrived moments later and escorted the news-people off campus to the cheers of the watching students. Lunch ended soon after that and we all returned to class: a little sore and shaken up, but okay.

Once we got back to class, Midoriya and Yaoyorozu took center stage to appoint the other class officers. But before that, Midoriya dropped a bomb on us by saying that Iida would be a better class rep, and offered to step down from his position. We were all stunned, but we couldn't help but agree with Midoriya's words. Iida had shown remarkable leadership during the security breach, and we all believed that he would be a better rep than Midoriya.

"Hey, you know what?" Kirishima began. "If Midoriya vouches for him then I'm good. Plus he really took charge and manned up, right?" There was a murmur of agreement from the class, and Iida stepped to the front of the class and (a little tearfully) accepted Midoriya's position.

Once all of the student politics were squared away, Mr. Aizawa took charge of class once again.

"Today's training will be a little different." Our teacher said. "You'll have three instructors: Me, All Might, and another faculty member will be keeping tabs on you."

' _Woah, three pros?'_ I thought. ' _That seems a bit excessive.'_

"Umm excuse me, sir?" Hanta Sero interjected, raising his hand. "What kind of training is this?" In response to Sero's question, Mr. Aizawa rummaged around in his pockets for a moment, then whipped out a card just like All Might had the day before.

This time though, the word on the card was written in blue: "Rescue".

"You'll be dealing with natural disasters, shipwrecks, stuff like that." Mr. Aizawa said. A ripple of excitement passed through the class, and I grinned in spite of myself. I loved fighting villains, but rescuing people was another important part of being a hero.

"Your speed will be great for rescuing people, Shiamasu!" Uraraka said, turning around to face me. I grinned bashfully.

"Yeah, but your anti gravity will really steal the show." I replied. "You could lift mountains of rubble without breaking a sweat!" Uraraka took a breath to reply, but Mr. Aizawa cut her off.

"Guys, I'm not finished yet." Mr. Aizawa said, silencing the class with an icy stare. "What you wear in this exercise is up to you; I know you're all excited about costumes." With that, he pressed a button and the wall slid back to reveal our costume cases.

"Keep in mind that you aren't used to them yet, and they might limit your abilities." He warned. "This training exercise is at an off-campus facility, so we'll have to take a bus to get there. That's all, start getting ready."

We all stood up to grab our costumes as Mr. Aizawa left the room. I hooked my arm around Kirishima's neck as we stood in line to grab our costumes.

"You ready?" I asked with a grin.

"I was born ready." He replied, returning my grin.

XXX

It didn't take long for us all to get ready and load onto the bus, thanks to Iida's leadership. Before I knew it, I was sitting next to Tokoyami as the bus sped down the road to the USJ, the Unforeseen Simulation Joint. We sat in friendly silence; neither of us talking but neither of us minding it either. It wasn't that it was awkward, I just felt that there was nothing that needed to be said, and Tokoyami clearly felt the same way. The bus ride didn't take that long, and pretty soon we were all standing in the entrance of the USJ.

"Hello everyone, I've been waiting for you." A slightly synthesized voice said. I stepped out from behind Tokoyami and gasped, star struck.

"Thirteen!" I exclaimed, gazing at the space-themed rescue hero. I remembered watching him save dozens of people from disasters on the news before, and to me he was just as cool as All Might with his quirk: Black Hole.

"I can't wait to show you what's inside." Thirteen said, turning and striding into the USJ. I grinned and moved to follow him, adding my voice to the chorus of excited cheers resonating from my classmates.

"This is going to be awesome!"

 **Hey guys! So as of this update, Boosted has hit 3000 views! I just can't believe that Boosted has gotten as popular as it has, and I owe you all so much. Thank you for taking the time to read my story, it means the world to me. I hope you all continue to follow and favorite Boosted, and I really really really hope that you guys review my story! Let me know what you do and don't like! Ask me questions, criticise me, or bounce ideas off me. All are welcome. Speaking of comments, let me address the most recent ones:**

 **Lord Terronus: Thank you so much! I was in a Barnes and Noble when I read your comment, and I was almost moved to tears. It really means a lot that you love my writing, so thank you. People like you are the reason that I try to write to the best of my ability. I hope you enjoy the rest of my story!**

 **Victorsmyname: You actually posted 5 reviews all at once, which was amazing to see. I'll try to address some of the key points from your comments. First, I'm glad that you like Shiamasu as a character. I had a lot of fun imagining both his quirk and his personality. Second, I'm glad you liked that little twist I put on the quirk apprehension test. I knew that it would be too easy for Shiamasu, so I had to put a little handicap on him. Lastly, I agree that some fan art of Shiamasu in costume would be really cool, too bad I suck at art and can't pull something like that off (sobs quietly). Again, thank you for your reviews, I hope you continue to enjoy my story!**

 **Again, thank you all again so much for reading Boosted, I hope I can continue to deliver an entertaining story for you all! See you all on the flipside.**


	9. Battle for the USJ part 1

I giddily followed my classmates inside the USJ, practically vibrating with excitement. Being under All Might's tutelage was incredible enough, but to be able to learn under both him and Thirteen? It was almost too much for my heart to bear. I mean, once All Might got here you'd practically be able to taste the heroism in the air.

The class stopped as Thirteen suddenly turned to face us and spread his arms, gesturing to the enormous space behind him. We all gasped as we took in the scene, unable to keep the wonder and excitement out of our eyes as we took in the interior of the building.

"Welcome to the USJ!" Thirteen announced, earning him a standing ovation. The USJ looked huge on the outside, but that didn't prepare us for how mind-boggling the inside would be. The inside of the USJ was divided into sections, each section representing a kind of natural disaster. The entire USJ was miles in diameter, and all of the zones were underneath a massive domed ceiling. A combination of fluorescent lights and natural light kept the building brightly lit. A series of walkways connected each zone together, all of them meeting at a nexus of paths in the center of the USJ. I couldn't help but grin as I took it all in, once again amazed at the lengths U.A. was willing to go and the money they were willing to spend to train us.

' _It looks like-'_

"Holy crap! It looks like some kind of amusement park!" Kirishima exclaimed, finishing my thought for me. I nodded, still grinning so hard it hurt.

"A shipwreck, a landslide, a fire, a windstorm, etcetera!" Thirteen said, gesturing to each zone. "I created this facility to prepare you to deal with different types of disasters. I call it: The Unforeseen Simulation Joint! Or the USJ!"

' _Wow, Thirteen designed this whole place?'_ I thought reverently, gazing awestruck at the space hero. ' _That's incredible._ '

My reverent stare was suddenly sullied as Mr. Aizawa strode forward, partially blocking my view of Thirteen. I narrowed my eyes at my homeroom teacher, frustrated that he was even here.

"Hey, shouldn't All Might be here already?" Mr. Aizawa asked Thirteen. "Let me guess: he booked an interview instead."

"Actually it's something else." Thirteen said. Then he stepped closer to Mr. Aizawa and the two began to whisper to each other, making it impossible to hear their conversation. I cocked my head curiously.

"Why are they whispering to each other?" I whispered to Kirishima, who shushed me as Mr. Aizawa stepped away from Thirteen.

"Clock's ticking." He said, returning to his original position: slouched against a column. "We should get started."

"Excellent!" Thirteen exclaimed. "I just have to say one or two things. Or three, or four, or five or-"

"We get it!" We all said, startling Thirteen. Thirteen cleared his throat and gave a small bow of apology.

"Listen carefully." He began. "I'm sure you're all aware that I have a powerful quirk. It's called Black Hole. I can use it to suck up anything and turn it into dust."

"Yeah, you've used Black Hole to save dozens of people from disasters before, haven't you?" Midoriya interjected. Thirteen nodded.

"Yes, but Black Hole can also be used to kill." Thirteen said solemnly. Most of the class gasped, shocked at the idea that a hero would ever use their quirk to kill. I was one of the few who kept their cool, my only reaction being a small nod. I knew all too well how dangerous a quirk could be in the wrong hands. I stole a glance at my classmates and saw that besides me, Todoroki, Bakugou, and Tokoyami also had subdued responses to Thirteen's words. That made sense, seeing that those three easily had the most dangerous quirks in the class and had probably been told dozens of times that they needed to be in control at all times in order to avoid a fatal accident.

' _Well, them and Midoriya.'_ I thought, glancing at the green-haired powerhouse.

"In our superhuman society all quirks are certified and stringently regulated, so we often overlook how dangerous they can actually be." Thirteen continued. "Please don't forget that if you lose focus or make the wrong move, your powers can be deadly even if you're trying to rescue someone."

"Thanks to Mr. Aizawa's fitness tests, you all have a solid idea of your quirk's potential. And thanks to All Might's combat training, you've all experienced how dangerous your quirks can be when used against other people."

"Carry those lessons over to this class. Today, you're going to learn how to use your quirks to save people's' lives. You won't be using your powers to attack enemies or each other, just to help. After all, that's what being a hero is all about: ensuring the safety of others." Thirteen then bowed to us, like a performer after a play or concert.

"That's all I have to say." He said. "Thank you so much for listening." Without skipping a beat, we all began to cheer and applaud for Thirteen, all of us pumped and ready to get out there for some training. Mr. Aizawa moved away from the column.

"Right, now that that's over-" He began. Suddenly, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and the taste of metal filled my mouth. I looked around, startled, and saw an electrical current dart across the ring of lights that bordered the ceiling. The lights flickered for a moment, then went out, casting the USJ in partial shadow.

My classmates looked at each other nervously, confused. They began to murmur to each other, their eyes glued to the now-broken lights. I glanced at Thirteen and Mr. Aizawa, half-convinced that this was just another part of our introduction to the USJ. Mr. Aizawa's expression convinced me otherwise.

His head swiveled around like an owl's, his eyes scanning the USJ. He stood ready on the balls of his feet, his muscles tensed. He was ready for a fight.

Shaken, I began to look around the USJ too, searching for signs of danger. As my eyes came to rest on the central plaza I froze, my eyes widening in shock. I felt my body grow cold as a black vortex materialized in front of the fountain at the center of the USJ. Mr. Aizawa saw my frightened expression and whirled around, taking in the sight of the vortex.

He growled softly as the vortex suddenly tripled in size. I watched, frozen with fear, as a hand suddenly reached through the vortex, pulling a man through the black portal. The man slouched forward and stood before the entrance of the vortex. He had messy gray hair that hung off his head and greasy strands. He was wearing baggy black clothes, almost like pajamas. But the most unsettling thing about his appearance was the hands. He had several disembodied gray hands clutching his body. Three on each arm, two clutching his sides, one on each shoulder, two clutching his throat, and two on his head. One was covering his face like a mask, covering everything except one hate-filled red eye.

"Stay together and don't move!" Mr. Aizawa said, whirling around. The class finally tore their eyes away from the lights and looked at Mr. Aizawa, surprised by the sudden fierce emotion in his usually monotone voice. "Thirteen, protect the students!"

The class began to whisper worriedly, looking around for the source of Mr. Aizawa's outburst. Kirishima caught a glimpse of my fearful expression and followed my gaze to the vortex.

"Woah, what is that thing?" Kirishima exclaimed, drawing the rest of the class's attention to it. As we all watched, a horde of people began to pour out of the blackness behind the slouching figure. They were of all shapes and sizes, with a variety of visible and hidden quirks. Some were massive and muscled. Others were small and carried weapons. They each wore different kinds of armor, clothing, or support gear. But they all had one thing in common: their eyes were all the same. Each pair of eyes emerging from the gloom of the vortex shared the same flinty, cold glare as they looked up at us, sizing up the crowd of students and the two teachers. They were the eyes of villains.

"Has the training started already?" Kirishima asked as villains continued to walk out of the vortex. "I thought we were rescuing people?"

' _The only who are going to need rescuing…is us.'_ I turned to Kirishima and grabbed his arm.

"We have to get out of here!" I all but screamed. "Those are-"

"Stay back!" Mr. Aizawa ordered, cutting me off. Midoriya froze guiltily mid stride, his face a mask of fear and anxiety as he stared at the still-growing crowd beneath us. "This is real. Those are villains!" The class gasped fearfully, some of them taking a half-step back as they realized that they were in danger. I was just as scared as they were, but I was equally as confused.

I couldn't put my finger on it, but something just felt wrong. There was something about the villains being here that was throwing me off. Something was missing.

"Shouldn't we get out of here?" I asked Thirteen as he took up a defensive position in front of us. "There's no way you and Mr. Aizawa can take on all of those villains at once." Thirteen shushed me.

"Just watch kid, Mr. Aizawa and I are both pros, remember? We can handle a few bad guys."

"Yeah but still-"

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. Just leave it to us."

"How can so many villains get into a U.A. facility this secure?" Kirishima asked.

"Yeah Thirteen, why aren't the alarms going off?" Yaoyorozu added. Yaoyorozu's words hit me like a truck and suddenly I knew what was missing: the alarms. The presence of so many villains should have been triggering every alarm on the campus, just like how the mob of reporters triggered the alarms earlier that day. But it was deathly quiet, the only sounds being the whirring sparks of the broken lights and the fearful murmur of my classmates.

"Good question…" Thirteen replied, looking around uncertainly.

"Is the entire campus under attack, or is this their only target?" Todoroki said, calmly surveying the scene below us as if he was watching it happen on a screen instead of right in front of him. "Either way if the alarm sensors aren't being triggered, then one of these villains must have a quirk that's masking their presence here. They carefully chose this isolated facility as an entry point at a time when a class was being taught."

"They're fools for trespassing here." Todoroki continued, narrowing his eyes threateningly. "But they've planned this out. Whatever their plan, they must have a concrete objective in mind. But-"

"But what is it?" I finished for him, watching as the vortex finally closed as the last of the villains walked through. "Why attack U.A.? With such a heavy presence of pro heroes on campus, they must know this is a suicide mission."

"Thirteen, get them out of here and alert the main campus." Mr. Aizawa said. "They might be blocking our communications too. Kaminari, try using your quirk to contact the school."

"Oh! Yessir!" Kaminari said, raising a hand to the communicator covering his right ear. Midoriya lunged forward as Mr. Aizawa turned away from us and eyed the horde of villains.

"What are you gonna do?" He asked. "You can't fight them all on your own. You're quirk is best suited for stealth and one-on-one fights, you'll be overpowered!"

"You can't be a pro if you only have one trick." Mr. Aizawa replied as his hair began to float. "I'll leave it to you Thirteen." Then, Mr. Aizawa leapt down the steps, his hair and capture scarf trailing behind him as he fell.

Mr. Aizawa landed and came up fighting, his hair rising and falling in quick succession as he canceled the quirks of every villain he attacked. My eyes widened in surprise as Mr. Aizawa danced amongst the crowd of bad guys, striking as quickly and deadly as a snake before leaping away to engage another opponent. He moved like a scythe through a field, cutting down every villain in his path as easily as cutting a piece of paper. The villains were all hopelessly, hilariously outclassed by the pro hero and they fell like dominoes beneath his onslaught. Watching him fight made me realize that Mr. Aizawa, the moody, sleepy, cold homeroom teacher of class 1-A, was a completely different person than Eraserhead, the pro hero.

"Follow me class!" Thirteen ordered, breaking me out of my awed stupor. I turned and followed my classmates as we ran towards the exit. I groaned as we ran toward the huge double doors.

"Why does it have to be so damn far?" I closed my eyes and exhaled in exasperation, and in doing so ran straight into Kirishima's back.

"Why'd you sto-?" I began, trailing off as I saw why we had stopped. The black vortex had reappeared, manifesting in front of us and cutting off our escape. Standing this close, I realized that the vortex wasn't so much a portal as it was a screen of smoke. Inky tendrils swirled and swayed like tentacles, forming a black and purple barrier.

"There is no escape." The vortex announced in an ominous baritone. I peered into the shadows of the smoke, searching for the villain at the center of the vortex who had spoken. But as I searched the vortex up and down, I realized that there was no one, and that the vortex itself had issued that declaration to us. It was at that moment that I saw the vaguely head-shaped form at the top of the vortex with two tendrils of luminous yellow smoke that served as eyes.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." The smoke purred. "We are the league of villains. I know it's impolite, but we decided to invite ourselves into this haven of justice to say hello. And besides, isn't this a fitting place for All Might, the symbol of peace, to take his last breath?" I nearly burst out laughing despite the macabre scene unfolding before me. All Might dying? The notion was as preposterous as the sun suddenly going out.

"I believe he was supposed to be here today, but yet I see no sign of him." The voice continued. "There must have been some kind of change in plans we could not have foreseen. Ah well, I suppose it doesn't matter. I still have a role to play." As he spoke, the smoke unfolded and spread out like a bird unfolding its wings, the blackness surrounding us.

"Gggraaaah!" With a battle cry, Bakugou and Kirishima leapt at the warp villain. Kirishima slashed at the smoke with a hardened arm while Bakugou created an explosion in his palm. The resulting blast didn't even faze the villain, who chuckled as the smoke cleared.

"You live up to your school's reputation." The villain remarked. "But you should be more careful children. Otherwise someone might get hurt." Bakugou and Kirishima stood rooted to the spot, both stunned that their attacks had done nothing.

"You two, get out of the way right now!" Thirteen yelled, raising a hand towards the villain. Before he had the chance to use his quirk, the villain narrowed his eyes and tendrils of smoke shot out at us like bullets.

I cried out as I was completely surrounded by the smokey vortex. I lost sight of the rest of my classmates as they too were swallowed up by the smoke and all I could do was stand there as they cried out in fear and surprise.

"I'll scatter you across this facility to meet my comrades, and your deaths!" I heard the villain roar.

' _What?!'_ I tried to run, but suddenly I felt my feet leave the ground as I was pulled upwards as if gravity had suddenly reversed. I felt my stomach sink to my feet as if I was falling as I was dragged through a portal. As I passed through the threshold of darkness, I felt a freezing cold unlike any I had ever felt in my life. It was as if my blood was freezing in my veins. I couldn't see anything, hear anything. My entire universe was the cold. I tried to scream but couldn't, my breath was frozen in my lungs.

And then, as quickly as it began, it was over. I felt the warmth return to my body in a rush as I emerged from the other side of the portal, falling in a heap to the ground. I smacked painfully against concrete and lay there shivering violently from fear and the lingering feeling of being frozen. Every cell in my body was trembling and I suddenly felt the urge to puke. I curled up into a ball and retched, but nothing came out.

I suddenly felt a wetness on my cheek and I raised my hand to my eyes, expecting to feel a stream of warm tears. But to my surprise, my eyes were dry. I touched my fingers to my cheeks and then tasted them. Instead of the warm saltiness of tears I was expected my tongue was met with the cool tastelessness of rainwater.

That's when I noticed the wind.

It was howling and whistling, whipping back and forth across the empty city streets. Sheets of rain cascaded down, falling at an angle thanks to the ferocity of the wind. I climbed to my feet and braced myself against it, leaning forward as to not be blown away. The storm raged around me as I surveyed the area, angry that it was unable to knock me down.

I thumbed the button on my helmet and the face plate slid down to protect my eyes from the rain, providing me with some much needed clarity of vision.

"Where the Hell am I?" I thought aloud, turning in a circle. The streets were completely empty, the buildings dark and lifeless. The only thing stirring was the water in the streets as the wind churned it. I looked up and saw the domed ceiling above me and sighed with relief.

"I'm still in the USJ, must be in the squall zone." I said. "I wonder where everyone else is…"

Suddenly, I felt a cold hand on my shoulder. I turned and lashed out with a wild right hook without pausing to look at my attacker. Dark Shadow hissed as my fist made contact with its face but thankfully didn't retaliate.

"Easy Shiamasu, it's just us." Tokoyami said, stepping out from behind Dark Shadow.

"Oh!" I exclaimed, dropping my fists. "I'm so sorry Dark Shadow, I didn't know it was you." Dark Shadow growled.

" _Next time you attack me like that you better hope you kill me."_ It hissed.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of that for you." A voice said. Tokoyami and I whirled around.

The villains had snuck up on us while we were talking, eight of them all together. They surrounded us and were leering at us with a combination of hateful mirth and hunger. Tokoyami and I stood back to back, our fists raised at our opponents. One of the villains stepped forward, a drill sprouting from his hand. He wore a suit of rust-brown armor and a helmet of the same color with three blue sits running across the face horizontally.

"Mister Kurogiri only sent us two?" The villain said, the same one who had spoken a moment ago. "That's no fun at all. There's barely enough to go around."

Another villain stepped closer, a giant with tree-trunk-like arms and legs. His face was nothing but one massive, bloodshot eye.

"I could eat them both without breaking a sweat." The villain somehow said. The villain then grabbed his shirt and tore it off, revealing a grotesque mouth that ran up his chest from his groin to his chest. It had no lips, and it grinned at us, licking jagged teeth with an enormous forked pink tongue.

"Hey you can't eat them until I get a crack at them." A female villain said. She wore a plain black jacket and black pants. Strapped to her back was an enormous pink broadsword, easily twice as tall as she was. As she spoke, she pulled it from its sheath and held it casually in one hand as if it didn't weigh a thing.

I felt a bead of ice cold sweat run down my spine as I looked at the villains, each of them showing off their flashy quirks to us. They howled and gnashed their teeth at us, grinning demonically and screaming all of the delightfully horrible ways they were going to torture us. I nudged Tokoyami.

"I'll take technology guy, the girl with the sword, the dude with the spikes, and that small guy with the fancy shoes. Can you handle the rest?" I whispered.

"I'll take them all, you run and try to find the others." Tokoyami replied. I narrowed my eyes.

"Don't be stupid." I said. "I'm not going to leave you, you'll be outnumbered 8-to-1! You'll be ripped apart!"

"8-to-2 actually." Tokoyami corrected me as Dark Shadow emerged from beneath Tokoyami's cloak, hissing at the villains surrounding us. "Don't you worry about me, I'll be fine. Look at how dark it is in this storm. These fools don't stand a chance."

I nodded grimly, all too aware of how violent Dark Shadow became in darkness such as this. I almost a little sorry for what Dark Shadow was going to do to these villains.

"Just try not to kill anyone." I said, sinking into a running stance.

"I won't." Tokoyami answered. "I can't say the same for Dark Shadow though-" With that, Dark Shadow screeched and darted forward towards the nearest villain. The villain's eyes widened in surprise and he leveled some kind of energy cannon at Dark Shadow, the barrel glowing with a blue light.

Dark Shadow was too quick though, and knocked the weapon out of the villain's hands with one powerful swipe of its claws. The villain barely had time to squeak in fear before Dark Shadow wrapped its hands around his body, trapping his arms against his sides. Dark Shadow hissed triumphantly and began to squeeze the villain, who screamed in agony as his bones were squeezed and ground against each other.

The bones is his arms and chest broke with a series of gut-wrenching pops and the man wailed in agony as Dark Shadow continued to squeeze. The villain's screams became wet gurgles as Dark Shadow continued to apply pressure, crushing his organs. The villain finally fell silent and Dark Shadow dropped him to the ground where he lay still, his eyes open and staring into nothing, a red stream of blood and meaty clumps of his destroyed organs leaking out of his open mouth.

I closed my eyes and looked away, sick to my stomach, as Dark Shadow screeched and attacked the next villain.

"Go now!" Tokoyami yelled. "They don't have a hope of beating Dark Shadow in this darkness! Run, while they're distracted!" I nodded but Tokoyami was too distracted to notice, all his focus on making sure Dark Shadow didn't kill again.

"Boost: Level 3!" I yelled. I blew past the bewildered villains at 100 mph, leaving them and Tokoyami behind as I sprinted towards the far side of the city and the exit. I started the mental clock in my head as I ran, counting down the 7 minutes and 30 seconds I had at this level. I zipped past the empty buildings, my enhanced mind racing as I tried to come up with a strategy.

' _Okay, there's likely no one else in this zone.'_ I thought. ' _I doubt the villains would want to spread their forces too thin, so having more than one strike team per zone doesn't make too much sense. Besides, that villain from before commented on that it was only Tokoyami and I. There are 5 other zones, there should be at least 3 of my classmates at each of the other zones. The fire zone is the closest, so I'll head there fir-'_

I sensed the punch before I saw it and managed to bring up my arm to block as a fist the size of a pumpkin slammed into my side and sent me flying. I curled into a ball as I flew through the air, covering my head and neck with my arms as I hit the ground. I skid through the rainwater and came to a stop at the feet of another villain. I looked up to see a young guy grinning down at me with jagged teeth and blood-red eyes. I tried to scramble away, but he managed to grab my arm and hold me in place with a vice grip.

"My my," He said. "What an interesting brain you have. Very fearful indeed." Wordlessly, I rolled up onto my shoulders and kicked upwards, sending the soles of my boots straight into his jaw. He croaked in pain and let go of my arm, holding his mouth and staggering away. I leapt to my feet and raised my fists as he took his hands away from his mouth and spit a massive gob of blood.

"You're gonna die for that kid." He growled. "Zyo!" I threw myself to the side as the behemoth named Zyo brought his massive fists down on the spot where I was standing, leaving a crater of smashed concrete. The man, if he could even be called that, was easily 8 feet tall, with hands as big as pumpkins. Two chains were wrapped around his bare chest in an X, and he wore black pants and a pair of comically big boots. He stared at me dumbly as he lumbered over to stand by the other guy, rainwater coursing down his bald head.

We regarded each other silently, me in my blue and white costume and the two villains in their rag-tag villain suits. The storm continued to rage all around us as we stood there, neither of us willing to make a move.

"Do you have what you need Ryuketsu?" Zyo asked slowly, carefully pronouncing each syllable as to not make a villain named Ryuketsu grinned devilishly.

"Ohhh yeah I certainly do Zyo. We really lucked out with this kid, he has a recurring nightmare that has just what we need! I knew it was a good idea to break off from the others and wait for one of these kids to try to run away!" I cocked my head in confusion, my brain racing to comprehend his words.

' _How could he know about that?'_ I wondered incredulously. It hit me a moment later: when he grabbed my arm he said that I had an "interesting brain". ' _He must have been able to read my mind through direct contact. But how does a mind reading quirk help them in battle?'_

"Zyo," Ryuketsu said. "Distract him while I get my pet ready."

"What do you mean by tha-" I began to ask, but I was cut off as Zyo suddenly lumbered towards me, cocking his fist back for a punch. I darted away and circled Zyo, who struggled to follow my movements.

' _Big, bulky, powerful, and slow.'_ I thought, darting in for a kick to his kneecap before rolling away from his monstrous hands. He hardly seemed fazed by the blow and simply lunged forward, trying to grab me. I spun away nimbly and circled back around him. I grinned under my faceplate.

"Just like the villains from the entrance exam." I said to myself. Zyo really was just like them. Big. Slow. Powerful. And most importantly, unable to effectively track my movements.

I stood there for a moment as Zyo turned himself around and tried to squash me again. I easily avoided the blow and darted through Zyo's legs. As he tried to work out where I went I scampered up Zyo's back, using the chains he had wrapped around his body as hand holds.

"Hey!" Zyo exclaimed, indignant. "Get offa me!" He bucked and tried to throw me off, but I clung onto his back and held on for dear life. He tried to reach over his shoulders and around his back to pry me off, but his arm and back muscles were too big and he couldn't manage it.

Seizing my opportunity, I leapt the last foot or so to his shoulders and drew my leg back.

"And like them, your weakness is...your head!" I roared, slamming my steel-plated shin into the side of Zyo's head right onto his ear. Zyo grunted in pain and shook me off. I hit the ground hard and grunted in pain, winded.

Zyo turned to face me as I tried to struggle to my feet. My oxygen-deprived body failed though, and all I could do was flop like a fish as Zyo came around with murder in his eyes.

"That hurt." He growled, raising his fist over his head. Then he froze. A trickle of blood ran out of his ear and dripped onto his shoulder as he stood there like a statue. His arm flopped to his side as his eyes glossed over. He stood there, swaying like a tree in the wind. Finally, a strong gust of wind gave him the last nudge he needed. Zyo fell like a mighty oak, crashing to the ground majestically.

I coughed and gasped, finally able to draw air into my body. Wheezing, I hauled myself up and turned to face Ryuketsu. The villain was sitting there with his legs folded under him, his hands clasped as if in prayer. I took a step towards him and his eyes flew open, his irises glowing with a blazing red light.

"Too late hero!" He roared triumphantly. "Zyo bought me all the time I needed!"

"Time for what?" I yelled back.

"This!" He screamed. "Come forth my beast!" He threw his hands in front of him, his fingers splayed as if to ward off an attack. His palms began to glow with a black light, then two beams of black light erupted from his palms and hit the ground in front of him.

"Time for you to face your fears!" He screamed, cackling maniacally at his own wit. I took a step back as the black light began to take twist and grow, taking shape.

' _No…'_

The light poured down in four spots, expanding and taking form as if filling an invisible container. The blackness pooled into 4 paws with razor sharp claws before growing up into 4 muscular legs.

' _No…'_

After the legs came the torso. Shaggy brown fur grew from the blackness. Human bones sprouted like flowers in the beast's fur, hanging from patches of blood-matted fur. They were covered in marks of tooth and claw and clattered against each other like a macabre wind chime.

' _No no...that can't be…'_

The last thing the light built was the head. The snout manifested with its lips already drawn back in a snarl, its jowls pulled back like a curtain to showcase the beast's bloody fangs. The scarred nose was wrinkled in hate and the monster growled and snarled at me, its fur bristling aggressively. The last thing the light built was the eyes. They glared at me with the hate of a thousand demons, their yellow eyes glowing faintly in the gloom.

"No no no no no no-" I whispered, stepping back away from the monster Ryuketsu had created. I began to tremble violently, my super-charged brain shutting down as I struggled to comprehend what I was seeing. Terror settled in my stomach and weighed me down like an anchor as I kept staring into the eyes of my demon. My knees buckled and I fell as the beast took a step forward. My heart pounded frantically in my throat, the blood roaring in my ears.

I slammed the button on the side of my helmet with shaking fingers and vomited violently as my face plate slid up. The beast's scent then hit my unprotected nose and I threw up again as my nostrils drank in that all too familiar scent of blood, death, decay, and evil. I looked up at Ryuketsu with eyes wide open with terror.

He roared with laughter as I opened and closed my mouth like a fish, unable to utter a single word.

"Don't look away hero!" He cackled. "This is your nightmare to live, not mine! Better savor this last view of it, cause it's the last thing you'll ever see!"

I began hyperventilating as the beast stalked over to me and stopped a few feet away. I growled and pulled its lips back in a snarl. And then, with the voice of the devil, the demonic wolf from my nightmares spoke.

" **Quirkless freak.** "

And then, finally, I screamed.

 **Hey guys! So sorry for the long wait, this past week has been really hectic for me. I only hope that this update was worth the wait! Thank you all who took the time to read it, all of you mean the world to me. And now my favorite part! The reviews:**

 **Victorismyname: No, readers like you are MY inspiration! I hope that you continue to love and support Boosted! Good luck on your story, can't wait to read it!**

 **Celestial stratos: Hahahaha I never dreamed that Shiamasu would ever be shipped with anyone, let alone Yaoyorozu (although it does make a ton of sense now that I think about it). You've really given me something to think about. As for Sumisu (aka "wolf boy") I have some tentative plans for him in the future, so you'll have to wait and see.**

 **redx1221: I'm still not sure if Shiamasu will have a love interest in this story, but I have been toying with the idea. Shiamasu and Mina Ashido isn't a bad suggestion at all, so thank you. I hope the rest of the story was as good as you hoped it would be!**

 **Lord Terronus: I hope it goes from strength to strength, that would be amazing! Thank you for the review, and thank you for the villain! For those of you who have read this far, Ryuketsu is a 100% Lord Terronus original character. He came up with the name, traits, quirk, the whole 9 yards. Thank you again for the character, I hope I brought him to life in a satisfactory way!**

 **Again, thank you all so much for the support you've all given Boosted! If you haven't already, please follow and favorite Boosted (I want to catch up to the other OC stories in this fandom). Also, leave a review if you have any questions, comments, criticism, or praise for me. Additionally, feel free to PM me if you have any suggestions or requests for me. Again, thank you all. See you all on the flipside.**


	10. Battle for the USJ part 2

I've experienced plenty of fear in my life. More nightmares than I can count and a certain young boy have seen to that. But that was different. The nightmares may have felt real, but in the end my nightmares were just that, nightmares. Nothing more, nothing less. And even though Sumisu was brutal and merciless in his constant bullying, my life was never in serious jeopardy. It was terrifying, but I always woke up, I always got away. It always came to an end. But this…

All I could do was sit there and scream as the wolf from my nightmares padded forward, its ears folded back and its lips parted in a low snarl. I couldn't move, couldn't think. My brain, despite operating at an enhanced Level 3 Boost, had shut down completely at the sight of the monstrosity stalking towards me.

In TV shows and movies, often the main character is still able to think coherently and monologue when they are frozen with fear. For the record, that is not at all what it's really like. When confronted by your one, true fear, your brain completely shuts down. You can't move, can't think. For the most part, all you can do is sit there helplessly. Or scream.

The wolf was within 5 yards of me when my voice finally gave out, my vocal cords shredded from my extended screams.

"What's the matter, hero?" Ryuketsu cackled. "Don't tell me you're giving up so easily! It took a lot of work to make that beast, don't waste my efforts by not putting on a good show!"

Ryuketsu threw his head back and shrieked with laughter, overcome with psychotic mirth. As the villain laughed, the wolf looked back over its shoulder and growled at Ryuketsu, its matted fur bristling. Then, to my utter amazement, the beast turned and began to stalk towards Ryuketsu.

As the wolf got further away, I felt my chest relax and I drew in a deep, sobbing breath. I choked and gasped, tears streaming down my face as I drew in enormous lungfuls of air. My heart, which had been on the verge of stopping completely only moments before, began to beat faster than it ever had before. My oxygen deprived brain welcomed the fresh air and I was finally able to think clearly.

' _Okay calm down.'_ I all but screamed. ' _That thing may look like Him, but it's not. It's just his quirk fucking with your head. He said it himself, he uses people's' fears against them, that's all this is. If you can figure out his quirk, then you can figure out how to beat him.'_

My mind raced as I tried to recall every little scrap of information I had, no matter how small it seemed.

' _He said that it took a lot of effort to make that thing, and he needed that guy Zyo to buy him time while he prepared his quirk. So odds are, if I kill his first monster, then he won't be able to make another one. Or at the very least, he won't be able to make one before I incapacitate him.'_

I watched as Ryuketsu continued to cackle, completely oblivious to his pet creeping up on him. My supercharged brain sent dozens of thoughts and theories shooting through my mind all at once, and I latched onto the one that seemed most logical.

' _That monster, why isn't it attacking me? It had me right where it wanted me, but it just turned around like I wasn't even there. It obviously knew who I was, it said His words after all. I was completely defenseless, yet it turned its back to me...and it looks like it's going to attack Ryuketsu.'_

' _Could it be that it needs to be controlled like Dark Shadow?'_ I wondered _. 'Tokoyami needs to be completely focused on Dark Shadow in order to keep him from going savage, maybe this nightmare is the same way. And maybe it's a more aggressive version of Dark Shadow. As soon as Ryuketsu broke his concentration, the beast immediately turned on him. If that's the case, then all I have to do is watch and hope that Ryuketsu doesn't stop laughing.'_

Unfortunately, as soon as that crossed my mind Ryuketsu snapped out of his laughing fit, his maniacal grin transforming into a grimace when he saw his own monster a few feet away, eyeing him like a choice cut.

"No!" He roared, pointing towards me wildly. "Attack him my pet! Don't you recognize the object of your hate, the quirkless freak?!"

The wolf snarled and turned back to face me. My blood ran cold as its yellow eyes bored into mine, the bloodlust in its eyes so fierce that it made every cell in my body scream at me to run. I grit my teeth and stood my ground, ignoring my instincts. I trembled like a leaf in a hurricane, but I forced myself not to run as the wolf came closer.

I clenched my fists hard enough that I felt the muscles in my hand strain with the effort as I willed my brain not to shut down again. Ryuketsu glared at me, all traces of his psychotic laughter gone.

"Aren't you going to run, hero?" He asked. "Or are you just frozen with fear?" With a mighty effort, I wrenched my eyes away from the wolf and met Ryketsu's gaze.

"I… I'm not afraid of y-you." I said through gritted teeth. "I'm going to s-stop you, then I'm gonna save my friends." He seemed to find this amusing, grinning as his pet came closer and closer.

" **Once I'm done with you, I'm going to rip your precious Ms. Harioka apart, piece by piece."** The nightmarish wolf snarled. " **Maybe if you weren't so useless, you'd be able to stop me."**

I choked and took a half step back involuntarily. It sounded just like Him. The wolf howled and the wind gusted viciously, echoing the wolf's cry.

It was too much. For all my bravado and clenched fists, I just wasn't mentally strong enough to deal with what was happening. It was too surreal. I began to feel my clarity of thought slip away as panic set it once more.

"No!" I yelled desperately. "Boost: Level 4!" My quirk surged through my body and my brain immediately got back under my control, the mental clock in my head resetting for the new time limit. I allowed myself a small smile of satisfaction, then frowned and mentally berated myself.

' _You panicked, and now you may have just screwed yourself. You were able to get yourself back under control, but now you've lost precious time by boosting up a level. Now you only have 7 minutes and 30 seconds to beat this guy, find the others, and stop the other villains. And now, even if you manage to do all of that, you'll still be useless afterwards. Idiot.'_

All of that ran through my brain like a bolt of lighting as I leveled my gaze at the wolf, which had sunk low to the ground, ready to pounce.

' _Regardless, what's done is done. Only thing I can do now is try to make this quick.'_

"You're not Him." I said. "You may sound like Him, and you may look like the thing from my nightmares, but you're just a fake. You don't know who Ms. Harioka is. Who don't even know me. You only know what he knows." I finished, staring pointedly at Ryuketsu. "And I'm going to take you down."

The wolf glared at me, then suddenly leapt at me without warning, it's powerful hindlegs launching it towards my throat.

Any normal person would have never been able to avoid the attack. The speed and ferocity with which the wolf leapt at me was astounding, even for a powerful animal such as that, and anyone else would have been caught completely unawares. However, to my boosted brain the monster appeared to be moving in slow motion.

I watched as the beast's powerful muscles rippled across its back and down its legs like a wave as it sank onto its haunches and prepared to pounce. I regarded it with the detached casualness of someone regarding a marble rolling towards them as the wolf lunged at me, fangs and claws bared. My brain began to run through the anatomy and skeletal structure of the wolf as it flew towards me, identifying weaker bones, pressure points, and other strike zones.

When the wolf was close enough that I could feel its hot breath against my throat I took a small, perfect step to my right, just enough to avoid the attack, drawing my fist back simultaneously. As the beast flew past me, I threw my fist into the soft flesh of its throat. The beast gave a strangled whimper and did a somersault, slamming into the wet concrete and laying there.

I exhaled and relaxed, turning to regard Ryuketsu. He stood there like a statue in the tempest, the wind blowing his hair in every direction as rivulets of freezing rain poured down his stunned face. He looked back and forth between the wolf and I incredulously, his mouth and eyes wide open with disbelief.

"...H-how did you…?" He stammered. I sighed and took a step forward.

Ryuketsu let out a strangled yelp as I suddenly materialized in front of him, my face inched from his.

' _I couldn't even follow his movements he was so fast.'_ He thought in a panic. He cried out again as his legs were suddenly swept out from under him and crashed to the ground, his head hitting the pavement with a sickening thunk.

I pressed my knees against his shoulders and held him in place as he looked up at me wildly, a small spark of fear in his eyes.

"Who the Hell are you!?" He all but screamed. "How did you beat my quirk so easily? You should have been paralyzed with fear! Hell, you were for a minute! But then you didn't even seem fazed at all! Nobody just conquers their worst nightmare in a few seconds, it's impossible! And how did you beat my pet with one punch?!"

"You ask too many questions." I said. "I won because heroes will always triumph over villains, easy as that. And as for your dog, I punched it in the jugular vein in its neck, rupturing it. The beast will die shortly."

"But how did you even know where that was?!"

"I've been haunted by that wolf for a long, long time villain. You think I didn't study up on how to kill my worst fear in all these years?"

Ryuketsu glared at me with a murderous glint in his eyes. His tongue lashed across his lips and he bared his teeth wolfishly at me. I could feel the anger and hatred radiating off him like heat.

"I'm going to kill you." He said, his eyes boring into mine. "I'm going to kill you, your family, your friends, your classmates, everyone you've ever known. I will make the streets run red with your blood. I'm going to rip your gut open and force feed you your intestines. I'm going to make a knife out of your bones and use it to cut you thousands of times until you bleed to death. I'll show you what it truly means to be afrai-"

"Shut up." I said, cutting him off with a blow to the face. He coughed and spat, his bloody saliva mixing with the murky rainwater running down the street.

"You're in no position to be making threats." I continued, reaching into my utility belt for a roll of capture wire.

As I grabbed his wrists and began to tie them together I felt Ryuketsu began to shake beneath me. His chest quaked and his shoulders shook under my knees. I sighed.

"Crying will get you no mercy from me." I remarked. His shaking only got worse after that, but when he lifted his head his eyes were dry. His lips were pulled back in a huge, toothy grin as he struggled to keep himself from screeching with laughter.

"You heroes all think you're invincible!" He roared, his eyes full on psychotic hilarity. The storm around us began to rage even harder as Ryuketsu thrust his face towards mine. "You think you're better than the rest of us! That you're allowed to pass judgement like gods! But when all's said and done, you're not gods! You're no better than us! And you bleed just like the rest of us!" His eyes darted behind my shoulder at the last moment as he allowed himself to laugh insanely. It wouldn't have taken a supercharged brain to figure out what he was looking at.

' _Oh shi-'_

I threw myself forward, but the wolf still managed to clamp its jaws down on my shoulder. I screamed in agony as the wolf's teeth pierced my costume and buried its fangs into my flesh. My shoulder screeched in pain as the fangs went deeper and ground against bone.

I screamed again, all clarity of thought gone as my mind became completely filled with the primal feelings of pain and fear. I flailed wildly as the wolf whipped its head violently from side to side, dragging me painfully across the concrete. My screams, Ryuketsu's laughter, the storm, and the grunts and snarls of the wolf mixed together to create a nightmarish symphony.

"Did you really think you'd be able to kill my pet so easily, hero?" Ryuketsu cackled.

Suddenly, the wolf released my shoulder and I groaned in pain as its teeth retreated from my body. I managed to roll onto my back in time to see the wolf lunge towards my throat, its mouth open hideously wide. I threw my hands up desperately and managed to grab its snout in one hand and its lower jaw in the other, holding it at bay. The wolf gave a choked bark and tried to pull its head free, but I tightened my grip and held on, ignoring the pain in my hands where its fangs had dug into them.

" _ **Die, freak!"**_ It snarled. Then, it clamped down on my hands. I shrieked as the wolf's jaws tightened on my hands like a vice, its fangs ripping through my skin like tissue paper. I tried to pull my hands free, but only succeeded in making the pain worse as the wolf's teeth were dragged through my hands. Blood ran down my arms like rain as the wolf continued to chew on my hands, sending searing flashes of pain through my body like lightning.

When I felt one of the bones in my hand break, something else inside me broke as well. My vision went red, and I roared with a ferocity that can only be described as animalistic. I bucked violently and threw the wolf headfirst into the street next to me, stunning it. I climbed onto the monster's back before it was able to get to its feet or get away and grabbed its head with a new strength. I kept roaring as I lifted the wolf's head and slammed it into the concrete. The wolf howled in pain and struggled underneath me, but I pressed my body down against it and held it down. After I slammed its head into the ground for the second time it began to struggle less. After the fourth time it went limp and lay there, whimpering in pain. After the 6th time it went silent. After the 9th time the wolf began to melt.

The monster's body dissolved into the black light from which it came and pooled into the street beneath me, swirling with the rain water like oil. I sat there on my knees for a moment, breathing heavily. I looked down at the tender hamburger meat that were my hands and winced. Blood oozed from several puncture marks and jagged tears, and one hand was swelling up and throbbed.

The longer I gazed at my hands, the harder my breathing became. The blood roared in my ears as my breathing reached a crescendo, the air whistling in and out of my body. Finally, I could stand it no longer and I threw my head back and yelled into the storm: a primal roar of victory and pain.

' _Focus.'_ The thought rang through my hazy mind like a gunshot, scattering the fog of panic and pain that had settled into my conscience. My breathing instantly returned to normal and the pain in my shoulder and hands retreated from my mind until it was nothing but a dull ache lingering at the edge of my thought.

' _You only have 3 minutes and 43 seconds left at this level. You need to incapacitate Ryuketsu, then leave, now.'_

I turned back and took a half step towards Ryuketsu, then froze.

The street was empty. Ryukestu had vanished. I swore venomously and searched the immediate area for any sign of him. After a few moments I realized it was pointless and with a huge, exasperated sigh I turned and saw Zyo lying where he had fallen earlier. I considered tying him up too, but I quickly came to the conclusion that by the time I would have tied him uo enough so that he couldn't use his monstrous strength the break free I would have wasted so much time that I would have been useless. All I could do was hope that he stayed down long enough for someone else to come along and incapacitate him.

With one last look around, I took off down the street towards the nearest wall of the Squall zone.

' _He must have ran off when I was fighting that wolf of his.'_ I thought as I raced along the wall of the dome, searching for the exit. ' _Trying to find him now would just be a waste of time. My best option is to go and find my classmates and hope that he'll be caught when he tries to escape U.A.'s campus.'_

Fortunately, it didn't take long for me to find the exit using my strategy of dashing along the edge of the zone at 200 mph. I burst out of the double doors and was greeted with the welcoming feeling of the warm air of the USJ.

I stopped just outside of the entrance to the squall zone and scanned the USJ, getting my bearings. Thankfully, the squall zone was situated at the top of a small hill near the main entrance of the USJ, so I had an unhindered view of the entirety of the complex. Unfortunately, the view was not at all pleasant…

My classmates appeared to be scattered all across the USJ, just like the warp-gate villain had said they would be. In the distance I could see small skirmishes where my classmates were fighting groups of villains, just like Tokoyami and I had to. Thankfully, they all seemed to be holding their own, so I turned my attention to the truly frightening scene below me.

The center of the USJ was a warzone. Fallen villains lay strewn about like forgotten toys amidst pieces of rubble and broken tools or weapons. At the shore of the shipwreck zone two villains were squaring off with Midoriya, Todoroki, Bakugou, Kirishima, and…

' _All Might…'_ I thought jubilantly. But my joy only lasted for a moment. All Might was holding his hand to his side where a crimson stain was spreading across his white shirt.

"He's hurt…" I whispered. It only took me a split second to decide what to do next. I sprinted towards my classmates and All Might.

' _Those three are the guys who came in last, they must be their leaders.'_ I deduced. ' _And they must be powerful too if they were able to actually hurt All Might. It looks like Bakugou managed to restrain one of them, but that still leaves two more. And I have no idea what their quirks could be. This is not good.'_

It only took me a few seconds to get from the squall zone to where they all were. But as I was about to decelerate, I saw the massive villain with the exposed brain take off, sprinting straight for Bakugou. I was astounded.

' _He looks like he's moving at normal speed… he must be going as fast as I am…'_

I pushed myself to run faster as the villain and I converged on Bakugou, each of us running as hard as we could. Bakugou was frozen like a deer caught in headlights, completely stricken by the overwhelming speed of the villain bearing down on him like a bullet train.

The only reason I was able to beat the villain to Bakugou was because I was already running at full speed when the villain took off. In the fraction of a second that it took that thing to accelerate to its full speed, I was able to gain an extra meter of distance. I stretched out my arms and tackled Bakugou, wrapping him up and sending us both flying away from the villain. As we tumbled away from the villain, I took a quick look behind me and felt myself go cold. The villain was right on top of us and had its fist cocked back. As we locked eyes I knew there was nothing I could do to stop that thing from killing us both. And somehow, I knew that it could kill us both with a single punch.

Suddenly, a flash of white and gold streaked in front of us, then there was a boom like a thunderclap. A blast of wind sent Bakugou and I flying even further as a cloud of gray smoke erupted behind us. We landed hard and I cried out as I felt my mangled hands smack the ground and drag painfully along behind us.

"Kacchan!" I heard Midoriya cry. At the sound of his name Bakugou stirred and sat up next to me. His eyes widened as he realized that he was meters away from where he was just a second previously, and was unscathed.

"The Hell?" He said, confused. Then, he seemed to notice me for the first time and regarded me with a look that was equal parts confusion, disdain and amazement.

"You're welcome, Bakugou." I groaned, sitting up. He blinked, looking back and forth between me and the spot where he just was.

"Wait…" He began. I looked at him expectantly. "Who are you?" I sighed. What else could I really expect from him?

"I'll explain later." I replied. Then I grabbed him and held his neck in place with my left hand and put my right hand on the small of his back. Bakugou stiffened and tried to wriggle away.

"What the Hell are you doing?!" He asked, outraged. "Let go of my neck!"

"Can't." I said, bending my knees slightly. "It's so you don't get whiplash." I took off before he could respond, bringing us both forwards to join the line next to our classmates. I let go of Bakugou and moved so that I was standing next to Kirishima, who was staring at me in awe.

"Shiamasu?!" He exclaimed. "Where did you come from?"

"I'll explain later." I replied. "For now we should try to help All Might." Then I turned and watched as the smoke cleared, revealing All Might. The pro stood with his arms across his body, coughing and hacking. He was clearly in pain.

' _He took the punch, shielding Bakugou and I with his body.'_ I thought. ' _If that had connected, we both would have been blown to bits. I just can't believe he was able to get there in time. He was so fast that even my brain and eyes at level 4 couldn't follow him. He really is amazing.'_

"Well well well," The villain with the gray hair and the hands said, eyeing me. "It looks like we have a new player in our little game. You're nearly as fast as All Might, kid." I sneered at the villain and turned my attention back to All Might. The golden-haired hero raised his head.

"They were kids and you didn't hold back!?" All Might grunted, glaring at the villains. The one with the hands stepped forward.

"I didn't have much choice." He countered. "He was threatening my companion. Besides, these kids aren't angels either. You see the plain one? He tried to kill me with a maxed out punch. What kind of hero does something like that? You think you can be as violent as you want if you say its for the sake of others. Well you know what All Might? That pisses me off."

' _Who is this guy?'_ I wondered.

"Why do some people get to decide that some violent acts are heroic while others are villainous? Passing judgement on what's good and what's evil. You think you're the symbol of peace? Ha! You're just another government sponsored instrument of violence! And violence always breeds more violence. I'll make sure the world understands that once you're dead."

"You're nothing but a lunatic." All Might retorted. "Villains like you always try to make your actions seem noble. But admit it; you're only doing this because you like it! Isn't that right?!

The villains didn't reply again, and the six of us stared down the three of them.

"We've got them outnumbered." Todoroki said.

"And Kacchan found the mist guy's weakness." Midoriya replied with a nod.

"These guys may act tough, but we can take them down now that All Might and Shiamasu are here." Kirishima added, hardening his arms.

"Right now there's two of us for every one of them, and the mist guy doesn't seem like much of a fighter anyway." I said. "At the very least we can hold them off, at least until the othe-other pros get...here…" I trailed off. My vision blurred and I suddenly began to lose my balance, stepping forward to catch myself.

"Hey are you okay Shiamasu?" Kirishima asked. Then his gaze landed on my shoulder and his eyes went wide. "Woah, what the Hell happened Shiamasu?! You're bleeding really badly!"

Kirishima's voice sounded miles away, but I heard him well enough to realize what he meant. I sluggishly looked to my right and saw that almost my entire right side was soaked with blood. I cursed and instantly realized what happened.

"Fight with a villain...my brain focused on t-the fight… didn't take into account...my injuries. Now it's too l-late…" I looked into Kirishima concerned eyes and gave a weak grin. I tried lifting my arm to give a thumbs up, but for some reason my arm felt like it weighed thousands of pounds.

"You guys are on your own now…" I murmured as darkness began to eat away at the edge of my vision, unconsciousness creeping up on me. "Kick...their...asses…" The last thing I saw was Kirishima reaching for me as I crumpled to the ground and faded to black.

XXXXXX

When I came to I was lying in a hospital bed. I lay still for a moment, my eyes darting across the room in confusion as I tried to work out where I was. Just as panic was about to set it, my eyes landed on a jar full of a familiar candy and I breathed a sigh of relief. I was in Recovery Girl's office.

I sat up and as the bed sheet slid off me I saw that my right shoulder was wrapped in thick, white bandages that criss-crossed across my bare chest. As I looked down I saw that my hands were similarly wrapped up. That's when I remembered all that happened.

' _The USJ!'_ I thought in a panic. ' _All of those villains! My classmates! What happened?!'_

Suddenly, the door to the office swung open and Recovery Girl strode in. When she saw me sitting up she grinned.

"Ah, Shiamasu!" She chirped. "So you've finally woken up!"

"Recovery Girl! Please tell me what happened!" I demanded, my face a mask of concern. "Did my classmates make it out okay? Is U.A. safe? What about all of those villains? Did you catch them al-"

"Hush now." She ordered, shoving a lollipop in my mouth to silence my concerned babbling. "We can talk about all of that later, for now you just need to relax and rest a little longer."

"Please!" I begged. "At least tell me if my friends are okay!" Recovery Girl opened her mouth to argue, but closed it with a sigh when she saw the look on my face.

"Fine, if it will make you rest easy." She relented. "Your classmates are all fine. The other teachers were able to arrive before anyone was killed, captured, or hurt. Well… with the exception of you…"

I sank back against the pillows, feeling as if a mountain was just lifted off my chest.

"Oh thank God…" I murmured. Seeing that I had relaxed, Recovery Girl made her way over to my head and felt my forehead, then took out a stethoscope and listened to my heart and lungs.

"Well it looks like the healing was a success, you're perfectly healthy once again." She announced.

"Thank you, Recovery Girl." I said. "It's like I was never hurt at all. I don't even feel the backlash of my quirk either."

"Yes well, my quirk was able to cancel the detrimental effects of your quirk, but it was a close thing. If you were brought to me 5 minutes later, I'm not sure I would have been able to save you. Just be thankful that we had your blood type handy for a transfusion, otherwise you wouldn't have made it."

I stared, slack-jawed, at Recovery Girl. It felt as if the room had suddenly gotten colder and chills ran up and down my spine.

"I...I almost died?" I asked. Recovery Girl looked at me with a mixture of concern and sadness.

"...yes…" She all but whispered. I didn't respond. It felt surreal.

I knew that being a hero was an extremely dangerous profession to choose. I knew that heroes died in the line of duty all the time. When I decided all those years ago that I would become a hero, I forced myself to make peace with the fact that one day, I may go out on a mission and never come back. I had to acknowledge my own mortality, and accept it as a necessary sacrifice for the sake of others. I always knew that if the time ever came, I would willingly give my life so that the lives of others would be spared. I never once doubted my resolution to that fact.

But that was before I felt the cold hand of death myself. It was easy to tell myself that I was more than willing to die a hero as a child...but now…

Sitting in that hospital bed with bandages around me, and someone else's blood flowing through my veins, I realized that I didn't want to die. That I wasn't ready to die. That I didn't know if I would ever be ready to die. For myself, or for others.

Recovery Girl saw my anguished expression and pursed her lips. She turned away from me and strode over to a large white cabinet. Moving quickly, she opened it and took out a clear plastic cup, then carried it over to a sink near her desk. As she turned on the water and held the cup under the flow, she deftly reached a hand into the pocket of her coat and drew out a tiny white pill. After making sure I wasn't looking, she dropped the pill into the water and swirled the cup around. Once she was satisfied that the pill had completely dissolved, she carried the cup over to me.

"Here, drink this." She said. "You need to stay hydrated to help your body replenish the blood you lost." I took the cup mutely and drained it in a few large gulps, then handed it back to her.

Almost immediately,I felt my eyelids start to grow heavy and I shook my head in an effort to stay awake.

"Wha-?"

"Shhhh," Recovery Girl crooned. "I just gave you something to help you sleep a little more. Your body still needs a little longer to recover from my rapid healing. When you wake up I'll send you home."

"Mmmph." I replied as I sank into a deep sleep.

XXXX

As Recovery Girl watched the young boy in front of her fall asleep she allowed her brave face to melt away. She looked sorrowfully at the hero-to-be, feeling as if her own son was the one laying there.

"So young…" She murmured. She strode over to the boy's right side and lifted the bandages covering his shoulder. She winced when she saw the angry, red scar tissue of where the boy was savaged. She felt tears prickle at the edges of her eyes as she gazed at the splotch of ruined skin, knowing that no amount of healing would ever cause those scars to fade.

She let out a choked sigh and replaced the bandages, then made her way over to her chair and sank into it. Not for the first time, she cursed the school that forced children (and they were just that: children) to risk life and limb. Whenever a student came to her with a broken bone, torn muscle, or other injury she always felt the same flare of anger at the people who allowed kids to be hurt so badly. But, she was always willing to look past her anger and see that these children were being trained to become the next generation of heroes, and that usually put her at ease.

But this…

When Shiamasu had been brought to her, half dead and covered in blood, she felt an entirely new sensation. Her usual smoldering anger in her gut was replaced by a frigid ball of ice in her heart. As she rushed to save his life, she realized that she could never forgive the people who had put this boy in harm's way.

As the first tears fell from her eyes, she gazed at her desk. Her eyes landed on a framed picture.

The photo was of a group of pros standing in front of the gates to U.A. there was All Might and Endeavor, both looking younger. Recovery Girl stood next to All Might, grinning and flashing a peace sign. Her hair still had its vibrant yellow color from her youth, and her face lacked the deeply-set worry lines that now adorned her elderly face.

"Oh Toshinori…" She whispered, picking up the picture. "You once said that this was all for the greater good...but I don't know if I can keep doing this…"

"Oh, I'm sure you can." A soft voice replied. Recovery Girl peered through the veil of tears and saw a small creature standing at the foot of Shiamasu's bed, watching the boy intently. The thing was a small, white creature that was some kind of mix between a bear, mouse, and dog. Recovery Girl sniffed and wiped her eyes.

"Hello, Principal Nezu." She said. "I didn't hear you come in."

"Naturally." He replied. "I just came to check in on our young hero here. Is he recovering well?"

"Yes, he'll wake up in an hour or so, then he'll be sent home." She answered curtly.

"Excellent." Nezu said. There was a long moment of silence. Recovery Girl eyed the principal intently, then took a breath.

"Do you want to leave the school?" Nezu asked suddenly. "I can't blame you if you do. I know that it can't be easy for you, healing the injuries of children everyday."

"...!" Recovery Girl started, caught off guard by Nezu's question.

' _He can still read me like a book.'_ She thought.

"I'll take that as a yes." Nezu said. "You know that I won't stop you if you do decide to retire, but I hope that you realize the repercussions if you do decide to leave. You and your abilities are essential to this school. You are the greatest and only healer I believe is able to help our students overcome the pain of their enrollment. We train these children in this manner for a reason: to prepare them to face the villains of tomorrow. We cannot afford to coddle them, especially with new villains popping up everyday."

"Yes, but look at this boy!" She said. "He nearly died! And all because of the way you allow this school to be run!"

Nezu sighed and stepped away from the bed and turned to face Recovery Girl. She couldn't help herself from feeling a chill as he met his eyes. He may have just been an animal, but there was such an intensity in his gaze that it almost made him seem beyond that...beyond humanity.

"Do you think that I relish this?" He asked, a cold hint of steel underlining his words. "I do not wish harm to come to any of my students, but I acknowledge the fact that sometimes harm is inevitable for the greater good. These children must learn to take pain as it is dealt to them and learn to fight on despite that pain."

"But-"

"Today's attack was not a part of their training." Nezu continued. "The injuries this boy suffered as well as his classmates own wounds were not caused by U.A. They were dealt by criminals in a deliberate attack against U.A., and against the hero community itself. These children could have sustained the same kind of injuries during any other criminal attack. The condition of this boy is not to be blamed on this school."

Recovery Girl leaned forward in her seat to argue, but felt her resolve weaken and then shatter as she looked in Nezu's eyes. She may not like it, but every word he said was the truth. She chuckled softly, without humor.

"After all this time, you're still able to talk circles around me, Nezu."

"Well I do deal with heroes. It pays to have a bit of a silver tongue when dealing with their type." Recovery Girl laughed, then the two lapsed into a brooding silence.

"...Who did this…?" Recovery Girl murmured eventually.

"I don't know." Principal Nezu replied. "And that is what concerns me the most."

XXXXXXX

"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!"

The warp gate villain, Kurogiri, stepped to the side as a chair flew into the wall where he was just standing, shattering and sending splinters in all directions.

"Dammit! He said that All Might would be weaker! He said we could kill him! Dammit! He wasn't weaker at all! And those snot-nosed students of his got in my way too! Dammit! And they shot me! Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!"

Kurogiri stayed silent as several glass bottles were flung past his head, smashing against the wall.

"Dammit! And the captured my Nomu! Now what are we supposed to do?! Dammit!"

"Perhaps you should calm down, Shigaraki." Kurogiri said.

"Calm down?!" The decay villain, Shigiraki hissed. "How can I possibly calm down?! It's game over! The heroes won! We lost! Now we'll never be able to kill All Might!"

"That is not-"

Kurogiri was cut off by the door being viciously slammed open. Kurogiri and Shigaraki eyed the silhouette at the door.

"Oh… it's you…" Shigaraki said.

Ryuketsu strode into the room and slammed to door behind him. He looked around the room, his angry red eyes glaring murderously at Shigaraki and Kurogiri.

"Where is everyone else?" Ryuketsu asked. Kurogiri and Shigaraki glanced at each other.

"Captured." Kurogiri replied. "I was only able to warp out myself and Shigaraki. The rest of our comrades were defeated by the students and staff of U.A." Ryuketsu stared at the misty villain.

"We're...the only ones who made it out?"

"To be honest, I'm amazed that you were able to make it out yourself." Shigaraki said. "It seems that you have better stats than we initially believed." Ryuketsu eyed Shigaraki incredulously.

"Better...stats?!" Ryuketsu sputtered, his fury increasing by the second. "What do you-"

"But this is good news!" Shigaraki said. "Now that we know you're strong, we can use that to our advantage when we try to kill All Might again!" Ryuketsu could barely hear Shigaraki talking over the roaring of his boiling blood.

"Hey, aren't you listening to me?" Shigaraki asked. Ryuketsu looked at the frail villain in front of him for a moment, then turned on his heel and strode towards the door.

"Hey!" Shigaraki yelled. "Where are you going?!"

"I'm out of here." Ryuketsu said. "I'm done working for you guys. I'm not insane enough to try to kill All Might again."

"You dare to leave now!?" Shigaraki roared. "We've given your miserable life purpose you two-bit criminal scum!" Ryuketsu laughed, a short and angry sound, as he grabbed the doorknob.

"Killing All Might is your purpose, not mine." He said. "I have my own purpose now."

"Oh yeah? What purpose is that?" Ryuketsu didn't answer immediately. He looked down at his clenched fist, then raised his hand and touched the growing bruise on his chin.

"My purpose, you ask?" He said. "My purpose...is to kill that kid…"

Then, he opened the door and stalked out into the night.

 **Hey guys! Yeah I'm back. First, I would just like to say how sorry I am for making you all wait so long for this update. All the sudden it just seemed that life was just throwing everything it could at me at once, and for the past month and a half I haven't had a moment of time to spare for Boosted. Thankfully, things have calmed down so now I can get back to my normal routine and I can start pumping out chapters again. Again, I'm sorry, but thank all of you that read this chapter, I hope it was worth the wait! Now, the reviews:**

 **Victorsmyname: Thank you for your continued support for Boosted! The fact that you consistently leave such positive reviews for this story is simply astounding to me. I hope I can continue to deliver.**

 **Lord Terronus: Once again, thank you for giving me Ryuketsu! And I am pleased to announce that he isn't going anywhere. He's exactly who I wanted for Shiamasu's nemesis, and he'll be here for the long haul. Sorry for all the cliffhangers, they're just too effective.**

 **Anyway, thank you all once again for reading! If you enjoyed this chapter, please let me know by leaving a review. And if you like Boosted and want to see more of it, please follow and favorite it.**

 **Once again, I'm so sorry for the long wait, I will not let it happen again. See you all on the flipside.**


	11. The Weight of the World part 1

The boy ground his teeth and glared at the empty seat across from him malevolently.

' _Where is he?'_ The boy wondered, looking up and down the train car. He had scoured every inch of the train, but that kid from U.A. was nowhere to be seen. He had been on the train that morning so he should have been here to take the train home.

But he wasn't.

The boy rubbed the bridge of his nose aggressively.

' _How am I supposed to gather intel on U.A. if this kid isn't here?'_

XXXXX

The sun had begun to set when I came to, and the room was cast in a soft golden hue. I could hear birds chirping outside, and the faint whir of Recovery Girl's desk fan was a relaxing background noise. I inhaled deeply and sat up, rubbing my eyes with my bandaged hands.

"Right on time, Shiamasu," an elderly voice crooned. I started and looked to my right, but relaxed as soon as I saw who it was.

"Did you really have to drug me, Recovery Girl ma'am?" I asked, yawning. "Not that I don't appreciate the extra sleep, but I really have to get home. My parents are probably worried sick."

"I'm sorry about that," She replied. "But you weren't in the right frame of mind and you needed the sleep. You never would have been able to get that extra hour of recovery time if I hadn't given you a little something to help you nod off."

"...Okay, I understand," I said, nodding. "So does that mean I can leave now?"

"Yes, you may go now."

I grinned and threw off the sheets, stepping out of the bed. I took a half step towards the door, then stopped when I felt a cool breeze against my chest.

' _Oh, right.'_ I remembered, glancing down at my bare chest.

"Um, Recovery Girl ma'am? Where's my costume?"

"Oh, that? I imagine it's in the process of being destroyed right now. It was far too damaged to be salvaged, so I followed U.A. policy and turned it over to the janitorial staff for incineration. We know better than to just throw away custom made, combat ready hero costumes."

"...oh…"

"Oh don't look so down young man! You'll have a new costume in a few days. It'll be like it never happened."

"Well that's great and all, but what am I supposed to wear now? I can't exactly walk around shirtless and covered in bandages."

"Of course you can't!" Recovery Girl said, making her way over to one of the cupboards lining the room. "Fortunately for you, one of your classmates was kind enough to bring all of your clothes here for you. Such a nice girl; she was so concerned for your well-being. Ah, here we go!"

With a flourish, Recovery Girl pulled out my bag and brought it over to me.

"I'll just step out for a minute and give you some privacy. Once you've changed you can go."

"Okay, thank you so much Recovery Gir-" I paused as Recovery Girl's words sank in. "Wait...did you say girl?"

"Oh yes, she was very polite." Recovery Girl said with a nod. "She said that your friend Kirishima got your bag out of the boy's locker room and gave it to her to bring down. She wanted to wait here for you to wake up, but I sent her away. Patients can't recover properly if they're being fawned over by too many people."

I was completely dumbfounded. My adolescent mind was swirling with dozens of thoughts, jumping to several conclusions at once. The rational part of me said that it was more than likely just a friendly gesture to an injured classmate. The young and hormonal part of me said that I had to find out who did it so that I could see what her true intentions were. It's pretty easy to guess which part of me won.

"Hey, Recovery Girl," I began, trying my best to sound as casual and disinterested as possible. "Do you know who it was who brought my clothes down? Just so I can-I mean...thank them in person."

"Oh I'm sorry dear, but I really don't know." She replied with an innocent smile. "She didn't leave her name."

' _Damn. It would be too weird if I asked her to describe the girl, so I guess I lose this round.'_

"Oh it's fine, don't worry!" I said. Recovery Girl nodded and stepped out, closing the door behind her. Once she was gone I grabbed my uniform and, just to be extra cautious, drew the curtain around my bed closed.

I placed my uniform and the bed and began to unravel the bandages on my hands. A feeling of mild apprehension settled in the pit of my stomach as I unwound the bandages. Would my hands be scarred? Disfigured? What if the healing wasn't as successful as Recovery Girl thought?

Thankfully, my nervousness soon proved to be unfounded as I gazed at my unblemished hands. I flexed and wiggled my fingers experimentally, grinning as they followed my brain's instructions without a hint of pain or stiffness.

"Recovery Girl really is incredible," I murmured as I undid the bandages around my shoulder. I raised my arms over my head experimentally as the last of the bandages fell away, testing the new muscles and tissue. I lowered my arms with a grin, but as my right arm fell to my side I saw a flash of red near my shoulder.

I glanced down, and as I did so the smile fell off my face. The skin on my shoulder was ruined. The entirety of my right shoulder was covered by a massive, purplish-red scar. It looked as if someone splattered my shoulder in paint. The skin seemed to throb with every heartbeat, and it looked as alien to me as if I had suddenly grew a tail.

I looked at my shoulder with a mixture of horror and disgust. I raised my hand and gently brushed my fingertips along the scar, shuddering as I felt the awful smooth looseness of the foreign skin. Finally, I wrenched my eyes away, appalled by my own body.

Trembling slightly, I threw on my uniform and grabbed my bag, making my way out of the room. Recovery Girl was standing outside the door, looking at me expectantly as I closed the door.

"Thanks again Recovery Girl," I said without meeting her eyes, taking a step to move around her. She saw the look on my face and opened her mouth to say something, but closed it after a moment.

Instead, she nodded, frowning as I moved past her and began to walk down the hall. As I was about to round the corner towards the exit I heard her call out.

"I did the best I could," She said, her voice full of remorse. "Some injuries are just meant to scar. Forgive me, Shiamasu."

I stood there for a moment, trying and failing to think of a good response. I didn't blame her for the scar, she did the best she could and I was lucky to have full use of my hands and shoulder. I wanted to tell her that. I wanted to tell her that she shouldn't be sorry for me, and that I was indescribably grateful to her for saving my life. But, the words just wouldn't come.

So, I rounded the corner wordlessly and kept on my way.

XXXXXX

"Mom? Dad?" I called out, stepping into our apartment. "I'm ho-"

"Oh, my boy!" My mom exclaimed tearfully, practically tackling me with a vicious hug. I returned the hug with a sigh, smiling sadly as I stepped away.

"So... I take it you know?" I asked.

"It was all over the news." My dad said, gesturing to the TV behind him. On the screen a pretty news anchor was discussing the attack on U.A.

"Are you okay?" My mom fretted. "When we heard that U.A. had been attacked we didn't know what to do! The school wouldn't answer any of our calls, and when we tried calling you it went straight to voicemail!"

"Sorry about that, my phone died."

"And then the news said that two students and two teachers had been hurt in the attack, so when you didn't come home I-I-I-" My mom's voice broke as she began sobbing, pulling me into another hug.

"Mom, I'm okay. Really…" But even as I said it, I knew that they wouldn't believe me. To be honest, I didn't even believe myself.

"So, was it you?" My dad asked. "Were you one of the two students hurt in the attack?"

"..." My mom began to cry even harder at my silent affirmation of their fears.

"But I'm okay now!" I said, smiling weakly in a vain attempt to stem the tide of tears flowing down my mom's face. My dad lay a hand on my shoulder.

"...how bad?" He murmured.

I considered not telling them. I could have lied and said that it was just my quirk, nothing serious. I could have said that it was just a scratch. But I knew that it would only be a temporary fix. I knew that one day they would eventually find out, see the scar, ask the questions.

' _Better just get it over with now.'_ I thought, unbuttoning my U.A. uniform. With shaking hands I undid my tie and pulled off my shirt, letting them fall to the floor. My dad gasped sharply and my mother practically screamed.

"Oh my little boy!" She howled, staring at my scar in horror. "What did they do to you?!"

"I-" I tried to speak, but I suddenly found that I couldn't talk. I felt my throat close and my chin began to quiver as the first few tears began to fall. I looked at my parents helplessly as the weight of the day's events hit me all at once.

They rushed forward and grabbed me, pulling me into a group hug as the first hiccupping sob wracked my body. They crooned lovingly over me and whispered words of encouragement and sorrow as I wept.

I had faced my worst fear.

I had been savaged.

I saw the world's symbol of peace, the unbreakable pillar of justice, bleeding.

I almost died.

My parents and I stayed like that well into the night. They held me as thoughts of Sumisu, the wolf, Ryuketsu, and the broken symbol of peace filled my head like lightning in a storm. I cried and cried and cried as the weight of the world seemed to settle firmly on my shoulders.

XXXXXX

Satow Juro hated the night shift.

He trudged into through the revolving doors gloomily, stepping into the lobby of his building with a scowl. The lights felt too bright for nearly 8 pm, and the empty lobby did little to lift his spirits. He flashed his ID at the security guard, then made his way to the elevators.

He didn't notice the maintenance man screwing in a fresh light bulb as he approached the polished chrome doors of the elevators. The main was wearing a plain grey jumpsuit, with a gray hat pulled low over his head. As Juro thumbed the button to call the elevator the maintenance man finished his job, grunting in satisfaction as he stepped back to admire his handiwork.

Unfortunately for both parties involved, the maintenance man didn't notice Juro standing there by the elevator doors and walked straight back into him, causing the somewhat scrawny man to fall to the floor. Juro's briefcase hit the floor with a bang and sprang open, sending sheets of paper flying in all directions.

"Oh!" The maintenance man exclaimed, helping Juro to his feet before scurrying to pick up all of the papers. "I'm so sorry, I didn't even notice you standing there!"

Satow Juro bit back a scathing response and instead grumbled that it was fine. He then noticed that his briefcase had opened and his eyes widened in panic. He dove for the papers and began to gather them up like a madman, his hands dancing across the floor like pale spiders as he tried to grab every loose sheet as fast as possible.

"Here you go," the maintenance man said, handing Juro a stack of papers. Juro grabbed them out of the man's hands, eyeing the man distrustfully.

"Those sure are some fancy drawings there," the man remarked. Juro kept himself from rolling his eyes at the uneducated blue-collar worker.

"They're actually called _schematics_ ," Juro said, putting extra emphasis on the word as he said it.

"Oh...I see," the man mused. "What are they for?"

"Actually that information is classified."

"Oh... Well I'm sorry again for running into you like that. You have a good night, sir." Juro grunted in reply as the man moved away. Finally, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Juro stepped inside and pressed the button for his floor, willing the door to shut faster.

"Oh course that would happen, how else would a night shift start?" Juro grumbled as the elevator ascended. The ride took less than a minute, but it felt more like years to Juro as his foul mood permeated the confines of the elevator.

Juro stepped out of the elevator in a hurry as soon as the doors opened and strode briskly down the dim hallway to his office. He didn't bother turning on the lights as he stepped through the doorless entryway to his workspace, tossing his briefcase onto the desk and collapsing in his chair.

He rubbed his face and groaned as he looked at the cluttered junk pile that was his desk. Tools and pieces of metal occupied every free space. Half-built prototypes and schematics lay abandoned helter skelter on the desk, and even leaked over onto the floor.

' _I should really clean this all up,'_ Juro said to himself as he booted up his computer. Juro opened his briefcase and began to sift through the pile of papers by the light of the computer screen as the machine whirred to life.

His eyes narrowed as he reached the end of the pile. He shuffled the papers and recounted them, then swore. He was missing a sheet. He went to stand up when suddenly a voice pierced the dark room.

"Satow Juro, head of development and testing of support gear in the Hero sector of Tokyo Electronics Incorporated." A voice said. Satow peered into the gloom. He could faintly see a figure standing in the doorway of his office. He felt a chill creep up his spine as he strained to see the ominous figure before him.

"Who's there?" The figure didn't respond immediately and instead stepped deeper into the room. From that close Juro could see who the man was, and he relaxed slightly.

"Oh. It's you," Juro said. The maintenance man chuckled nervously.

"Sorry to disturb you," he said, holding out a sheet of paper to Juro. "It's just that I found this in the lobby and I thought I should return it to you." Juro snatched the paper out of the man's hands, confirming it to be the missing schematic with a sigh of relief.

"...thank you." Juro muttered, already disregarding the man. However, Juro turned back to the man when he made no move of leaving. "Was there something else?"

"Actually…" The maintenance man began, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "There is one thing you could do for me. You could build me some gear."

Juro stared at the man incredulously.

"What?" He finally sputtered. "Make you some-? No, absolutely not. Out of the question. I only deal with professional heroes. Please leave immediately." The maintenance man sighed and took of his hat, rubbing his short brown hair.

"I'm sorry, I must not have said that properly." The maintenance man said. "You see, that wasn't really a request. You will do this for me." A change came over the man then as he said those words. The darkness around him seemed to grow deeper, malevolent. The temperature of the room seemed to drop as the man regarded Juro with cold disdain.

Now Juro was starting to get angry. It was enough that he had to work a night shift, did he really have to be tormented by this obviously deranged worker too?

"Now see here," Juro began. "I don't know who the Hell you are, or who the Hell you think you are, but this conversation is over. I will not make you any support gear, and I certainly won't entertain any further conversation with you. Now please leave before I am forced to call security."

The maintenance man glared at Juro for a moment, then raised his right hand slowly. Once his hand had reached his ear, the man snapped his fingers once. For a moment nothing happened, then Juro began to hear it.

There was a faint scrabbling sound coming from down the hall, and it was getting closer. He could hear the thin carpet being torn up as something skittered down the hallway towards the office. Juro's skin crawled as he began to hear hisses and the sound of teeth or claws clicking. A disgusting aroma began to fill the air and Juro wrinkled his nose as the smell of rotten eggs began to fill the room.

"What the Hell is thi-?!" Juro began to exclaim, then froze. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open into an O of horror as he stared at the thing in the doorway.

A massive spider crouched in the entrance to his office, glaring hatefully at Juro with 8 red eyes. The creature was the size of the pony and was a disgusting brown color. It was completely hairless, and its body was covered in brown skin that was lined with throbbing veins full of black blood. The spider's mandibles clicked and swayed as the monster tasted the air, hissing softly. The tips of its enormous, spindly legs were as sharp as daggers and tore up the carpet wherever it stepped.

"A spider, Mr. Juro?" The man said, chuckling softly. "Isn't it usually women who are afraid of insects like these?"

Juro felt his heart rate increase exponentially as the thing took another step into the room, coming to a halt next to the maintenance man. Juro drew in a massive breath.

"Scream and there won't be enough of you left to identify at the morgue." The maintenance man said with the utter sincerity of a madman. Juro, with great effort, closed his mouth and wrenched his eyes away from the monstrosity.

"Now then, here are the specs for the gear you will be making for me." The man said, tossing a folder onto Juro's desk. "Obviously, if you go to the police I will know. If you tell anyone I will know. If you even think of this outside of this office I will know. And my pet here will rip you apart."

The spider hissed as if in agreement. Juro picked up the folder with trembling hands and regarded the schematics inside, his brow furrowing.

"This is all-"

"Don't tell me it's impossible." The man cut Juro off. "I've read your research. You and I both know that building all of these items is well within your capabilities." Juro opened his mouth to argue, but closed it with a clop as the spider growled and took a step closer.

Finally, Juro mustered up the courage to look into the man's eyes.

"Who are you?" Juro asked fearfully. The man grinned with jagged teeth, his blood-red eyes seeming to stare straight through Juro.

"You can just call me…" The man began.

"...Phobia."

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the wait, but here's the latest chapter. Sorry, I know it's a little shorter than what you're all probably used to, but it's going to be a multi-parter so don't worry. Thanks to everyone who favorited and followed Boosted since my last update, welcome to the story all you amazing people! And of course it goes without saying that I absolutely adore all of you guys that were kind enough to leave a review, which I'll address now:**

 **zerom1v: Thanks! And yes, the U.A. tournament is quickly approaching. I guess you'll have to wait and see how Shiamasu does. Hope it gives you something to look forward to!**

 **Victorsmyname: Victor, my boy. You never fail to leave a review and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that. I'm glad you liked Shiamasu's battle with his demon, and I'm glad you like Ryuketsu. I hope you'll continue to enjoy my work.**

 **Guest: Damn, I wish you had an account so I could address you by name. Oh well, you know who you are. I'm glad you liked the chapter and the fight scenes. I hope this one will meet your expectations.**

 **Lord Terronus: Ah, another regular reviewer. Thank you for all of the positive feedback, I'm elated that my writing continues to deliver for you. I hope you'll be here until the end my friend.**

 **Anyway, if you're new to Boosted and like what you see, follow and/or favorite. And PLEASE leave a review. I want to hear from you guys! It can be anything, praise, criticism, suggestions, whatever. Just let me know what your thoughts are! Every follow, favorite, or review I get only inspires me to work harder and write better for you guys!**

 **But that's enough shameless self-promoting. Thank you all who read this chapter and who are frequent readers to Boosted. I hope I can keep meeting all of your expectations. See you all on the flipside.**


	12. The Weight of the World part 2

My parents held me the entire time I cried, their arms and bodies exuding love. They cried with me and whispered words of encouragement into my ears as I wept. Most of their words were drowned out by my hiccupping sobs, but their loving and soothing tone was enough to gradually calm me down. Nearly three hours later I sat on the couch with my parents, a mug of hot tea in my hands. I felt exhausted, dehydrated, and utterly spent. But at the same time, I felt cleansed. Sometimes all you really need is a good cry.

Once I had finished crying, I told my parents all about the attack. The villains showing up, getting teleported to the Squall zone, fighting Zyo and Ryuketsu, the wolf, saving Bakugou, and passing out. I also told them that Recovery Girl had healed me and had saved my hands and shoulder, as well as my life. They didn't speak the entire time I told my story, and when I was done they maintained their silence. After a few moments my dad got up, made me tea, then sat back down.

I took a few sips, then set the mug down and looked at my parents expectantly. My mom was the first the break the silence.

"Kokuree…" She began, speaking so softly it was nearly a whisper. "I...maybe this is selfish of me to say...but I don't want you to go to U.A. anymore…"

My mouth fell open.

"Please, just listen to me!" She continued, her voice rising in volume and pitch as she looked pleadingly at me. "Why is your heart so set on being a hero?! We never pushed you to be a hero; we never forced you down this path! I just don't understand! Maybe it's just because I don't have a quirk like you, but I just don't know why you're so insistent on being a… a weapon!"

"...mom…"

"NO!" She yelled, getting to her feet again. "I will not allow you to do this to yourself! Being a professional hero is one of, if not the most, dangerous professions in the world! Everyday I'd have to watch the news and see you fight some new villain. And everyday I'd have to watch my only child be hurt. You aren't even a side kick yet and already you've almost die-" Her voice broke and she covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes filling with tears once more. My father stood and put his hand on her shoulder, pulling her gently back down onto the other couch. He pulled her head to his chest and wrapped his arms around her. Then he lifted his head to look at me and nodded towards my room.

"Try to get some sleep Kokuree," He said. "We'll talk more tomorrow." I stood up mutely and walked to my room, shutting the door behind me and collapsing onto my bed without bothering to get undressed. I was convinced that sleeping would be impossible, but almost immediately my eyelids grew heavy and I slept.

XXXXX

 _I opened my eyes and found myself sitting at a desk in an empty classroom. A thick layer of dust covered every surface, and the windows were cracked and grimy. The smell of mold and rot filled the air, making me want to gag. I looked down and saw that I was wearing my U.A. uniform, but the right shoulder was torn to shreds. Suddenly, a low growl began to resonate through the room. The sound sent my heart into overdrive and I bit back a scream as I slowly turned around._

 _The wolf was standing in the back of the room, glaring at me. Bloody saliva poured out of its mouth like a waterfall, leaving a murky puddle beneath it. It leered hungrily at me, its yellow eyes filled with hate. I felt my chest began to tighten uncomfortably and I gasped for breath, but it felt like no air was filling my lungs. The beast snarled at me, then leapt into a sprint._

 _I cried out and scrambled out of the desk, throwing myself to the side just in time for the wolf to sail harmlessly over my head. I jumped to my feet and ran out of the room, taking off down the decrepit hallway of the abandoned school. The monster roared in fury behind me and I heard its claws scratch the linoleum floors at it took off after me._

 _I ran for my life through the school, careening into lockers and doorways haphazardly as I tried to get away. Eventually I dove into another classroom and threw the door closed behind me, locking it right as the wolf slammed into it. I screamed and jumped away as the door shook in its frame, the wolf howling in anger as it threw itself against the door._

 _I looked around for an escape route, but in my panic I had chosen a classroom with no other doors or windows. There wasn't even a place I could decently hide. I was trapped like a rat._

 _I backed into a corner and stared in horror as the door continued to shake violently. I screwed my eyes shut and pressed my hands against my ears, trying to block out the terrifying scene before me. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder._

 _I looked to my right and saw a man in a blue and white suit. He was tall and muscular, and had on a blue and white helmet. He pressed a button on the side of his helmet, and the face plate slid up. I gasped when I saw the face of the man standing beside me…_

 _It was me. Only older. Maturer. He looked sure of himself in that costume. Confident. Brave. Heroic. The symbol of a hero. He smiled at me._

" _What's wrong, kiddo?" He asked me. I pointed fearfully at the door, which had begun to crack._

" _Mu-mu-mu-" I stammered. The man looked at the door and laughed, a hearty and cheerful sound._

" _What , that mangy thing?" He laughed. "That thing isn't scary at all. All you have to do is show it who's boss."_

" _But I'm afraid!"_

" _Fear is a part of being a hero. You can't break down whenever things get scary."_

" _But what if I don't want to be a hero!" The words burst out of my mouth like a bird from a cage. The hero looked down at me in shock._

" _Why don't you want to be a hero?" He asked, genuinely confused._

" _Because, I don't want to die."_

" _But dying is a part of life! Sure, heroes have a higher mortality rate than most, but people die every day. You could get hit by a car, or mugged, or fall down the stairs, or-" He stopped when he saw my stricken expression. He sucked in through his teeth. "All I'm trying to say is, humans are fragile creatures. Any given day could turn out to be our last. And if we're going to die anyway, wouldn't it be better to die with a smile on your face, protecting the people you love?"_

 _I looked up at myself in awe. I couldn't even begin to imagine myself ever being as brave as the hero in front of me. He was a pillar of hope, a conduit of justice. Heroism exuded from every inch of him. And as we looked at each other-two sides of the same coin-I began to feel something stirring inside me._

 _It started out small. Just a tiny flare of heat in the center of my chest; small and quick enough that I thought I had imagined it. But, that spark rapidly grew, expanding and growing hotter as it spread throughout my body. The warmth ate away at my fear until nothing remained. My body stopped shaking and the tears stopped flowing._

 _I looked down on myself and grinned, a grin spreading across the hero's face._

" _See! You're braver than you know Kokuree!" The hero said. "Just look for yourself!_

 _I looked down, and saw that my U.A. uniform had been replaced by my hero suit. Suddenly, the battered door gave away with a shriek of splintering wood and the wolf charged in, angrier than I had ever seen it. I faltered and took a half step back, but the hero put his hand on my shoulder and held me in place as the wolf charged at me._

" _Come on Kokuree!" The hero roared. "You can do this! Show that thing what a hero can do!"_

 _I yelled and charged forward. The wolf and I met in the middle of the room, leaping at each other. I drew my fist back, a grimace of determination on my face. The wolf snarled and bared its fangs._

" _Do it!" I heard the hero yell. With a roar, I threw my fist at the wolf, aiming a vicious right hook at its snout…_

 _...and missed._

 _The wolf hit me full force, sending us both flying to the floor. I tried to scream, but it came out as a strangled gurgle as the wolf latched onto my throat. I had just enough time to squeak before the wolf snapped my neck with a quick jerk of its head._

XXXXX

I woke up with a jolt, my eyes darting wildly around my dark room. It hardly took a second to realize that I had fallen victim to another nightmare and I groaned, exasperated.

"Why won't they stop…?" I whispered. "I beat the wolf...I proved I could be a hero...why hasn't it gone away?"

At that moment it all seemed so pointless. I had trained for seven long years to get into U.A.. How many friends did I lose because of my constant training and studying? How many trips, get-togethers, or parties had I missed? How much of my life was taken from me by the hero academia? I couldn't even begin to quantify it.

And for what? What was the point of it all? How could I ever hope to be a hero and defeat the most evil villains in the world if I couldn't even defeat an imaginary wolf?

These thoughts and more continued to haunt me through the night and into the early morning. I must have slept at one point, for when I opened my eyes again my mom was poking her head through the doorway.

"Kokuree? Your alarm went off, aren't you going to get up?" I propped myself up on my elbows and glanced at the clock, kicking myself for not waking up earlier. I made as if to get out of bed, but stopped as I looked down and realized that I had slept in my U.A. uniform.

Suddenly, the U.A. garb that I had worn with so much pride only a day filled me with apprehension. It felt as if the clothes were too tight, and they just looked wrong to me. I didn't understand what I was feeling at first, for the wish that my body was trying to convey had disappeared a long time ago. But just like that, I recognized it. I looked at my mom and took a breath, then said:

"Actually mom, is it okay if I don't go to school today? I really don't feel great at all." The words sounded wrong as they left my mouth, my tongue struggling with the unfamiliar sequence of words and syllables. My mom gazed at me with a look of shock, and I couldn't really blame her. I hadn't asked to stay home from school since back when I was bullied by Sumisu in second grade.

The light of understanding filled her eyes as we looked at each other, and she nodded slowly with a sad little smile.

"Of course, Kokuree. Just yell if you need anything, okay?"

"Yeah I will. Thanks mom." My mom hesitated in the doorway for a moment, looking as if she wanted to say something more. I waited for her to ask why I suddenly wanted to stay home. I waited for her to ask if I was okay. I waited for her to ask if I wanted to leave U.A.. I waited...but nothing happened. Evidently deciding against it, she just nodded again and closed the door.

I waited a moment to make sure she was gone, then got out of bed and practically ripped off my uniform, tossing it unceremoniously onto the floor. I changed into clothes fitting my mood- a gray shirt and gray shorts-and climbed back into bed.

It felt strange, laying there in bed when I would have been well on my way to school. All I could think about was what my classmates' reactions were going to be. Would they worry? Would they be angry? Happy? Would they even notice?

Several times during that first 45 minutes or so I felt an overpowering urge that I had to get to school. I would get out of bed, even going so far as to grasp the door knob at one point, but each time I retreated back underneath the sheets. I tried to sleep more, but it proved a fruitless exercise. I tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable as thoughts of school and the USJ attack haunted me. But most of all, my mom's words echoed in my head:

" _Why is your heart so set on being a hero?!"_

Words are such small things. Just a collection of sounds and characters that, when put together, convey messages. And yet, those seemingly insignificant words had rocked my entire world. I suddenly questioned everything that I had worked so hard for and what I had dreamt off since that fateful day in second grade.

Of course, I knew why I wanted to be a hero. I wanted to save people. I wanted to stop villains from spreading evil. I wanted people to look up to me. I wanted to convince my grandparents that quirks were good things, not impurities. But now, those reasons seemed...hollow. Childish. Unrealistic.

I was eventually broken out this gloomy cycle by my phone chiming softly on my bedside table. I picked it up and saw that Kirishima had texted me.

 ** _Kirishima: Hey, where are you man?_**

I couldn't help but grin a little bit. At least someone cared about me over at U.A. Swiping up, I typed out a reply.

 ** _Me: Home sick...not feeling great at all._**

I hesitated for a moment, my finger hovering above the send key. It didn't feel right, lying to Kirishima like that. He deserved to know what I was really feeling, and he may even have had some valuable insight. But at the same time, my insolent adolescent pride kept me from telling him the truth. My phone chimed softly as I hit send.

XXX

A small group gathered around the desk as Kirishima peered at the screen intently.

"Home sick...not feeling great at all." Kirishima read. The group sighed collectively.

"See, he's fine!" Kaminari said.

"I suppose we were all concerned for naught…" Tokoyami murmured.

"I don't know about that you guys…" Kirishima said with a frown. "I think Shiamasu is going through some stuff right now."

"Why do you say that Kirishima?" Midoriya asked. "He said he's sick, why don't you believe him?"

"Come on, think about it." Kirishima said. "For one thing, just look at how quick he got back to me. It didn't even take him a minute to reply. Don't you think that if he was really sick, he would have been asleep?"

The group of students looked at each other.

"...Maybe…" Uraraka admitted. "But he could have just been awake when you texted him."

"That may be true, but that isn't the only piece to the puzzle." Kirishima replied. "You've all been sick before, right? I know that when I'm sick enough to stay home from school, I can even look at screens, they make me queasy. I assume that you all are the same way?"

There was a murmur of assent. Kirishima plowed on.

"Not only that, but think about where we are. We go to the most prestigious school in the entire country. I don't know about you guys, but I couldn't bear to miss even a second of my time here, not after I worked so hard to get here."

There were more nods this time as everyone saw the logic in Kirishima's words.

"Gee Kirishima, that was a pretty amazing analysis." Midoriya said. "It hardly took you any time at all to see all that from one tiny text."

Kirishima nodded, too worried about his friend to take any satisfaction from Midoriya's praise.

"But wait guys…" Asui began. "If Shiamasu isn't sick, then why isn't he here?" Everyone looked at Kirishima expectantly.

"That I can't tell you, sorry." Kirishima answered with a shrug. At that moment the door slid open and Present Mic strolled in, yelling at everyone to take their seats. As his classmates scrambled to their desks, Kirishima couldn't help but feel a pang of concern for his friend.

' _What's up with you, Shiamasu?'_

XXX

Eventually, exhausted from my poor night's sleep and constant worry and self-doubt, I slept. Thankfully, I didn't dream.

I woke up to my phone chiming again. I groggily reached for my phone and lifted it to my face. It was another message from Kirishima.

 ** _Kirishima: Hey. Look, I don't know why you lied, but I know you aren't sick._**

I narrowed my eyes.

' _How did he…?'_ I read on.

 ** _Kirishima: My guess is, the attack on the USJ really messed with your head. I don't know what you're going through right now, and I don't think I would really relate even if I did know. But, I do know that whenever I get in a funk, these always help get me through it. Hopefully they'll help you too. I better see you in class tomorrow._**

At the bottom of the message was a link. I tapped on it, and my screen transitioned to a video. The screen was black for a moment, but then the screen displayed the words:

 **All Time Best Pro Hero Compilation**

A bombastic symphony began to play in the background, accompanied by the booming laughter of All Might. A moment later, the screen it up as a burning building filled the screen. A villain stood on the roof, laughing maniacally as firemen and police officers scurried around below him. Suddenly, in a flash of gold and white, All Might dropped from the sky and landed in front of the burning building. The hero, smiling widely, drew his fist back. As the background music reached a crescendo, the hero threw his fist forward. An enormous blast of wind erupted from his fist, blowing out the inferno as if it was a birthday candle. Goosebumps cropped up all over my body and a chill traveled up my spine as the symbol of peace, still smiling, leapt up the building and apprehended the stunned villain.

' _Holy…'_ I thought.

But my amazement didn't stop there. The video played for nearly an hour, and it was just one heroic scene after the next. There was All Might, all smiles as he faced impossible odds and triumphed every time. There was Endeavor, taken on villain after villain with his incredible fire. There was Best Jeanist. Present Mic. Midnight. Mt. Lady. Gunhead. And countless other heroes that I had never even seen before. There was even a clip of Mr. Aizawa saving a group of hostages.

I can't even begin to describe the emotions I felt as the video played. It was just...incredible. It was better than anything I had ever seen in my life. I couldn't believe that I had never seen it before. Those heroes were the embodiment of everything I strove to one day be. They were fearless, heroic, steadfast, honorable. They were amazing.

The longer I watched, the more I felt it: the fire inside me. Those heroes and their acts of bravery were rekindling the fires of my passion. They were chasing away my feelings of self-doubt. They were reminding me why I wanted to be a hero. I felt rejuvenated, and I basked in the warmth of my newfound motivation. I wanted to run outside and yell out like All Might, "I am here!"

Smiling, I sent Kirishima a text thanking him and telling him not to worry about me. And I meant it. I was in a bad place, but Kirishima and his video had pulled me out of it. He didn't have to worry about me anymore.

Somehow, my eyelids began to grow heavy once more despite the inferno of passion roaring in my heart. Smiling, I lay my head back and closed my eyes, allowing sleep to take me.

XXX

 _I opened my eyes in the same classroom that I had trapped myself in earlier. The wolf was still at the door, howling and clawing furiously to get in. But, unlike earlier, I felt no fear. I stared at the door calmly as the beast raged outside._

" _Welcome back," A voice said. I turned and saw my older self standing there once again, decked out in my hero costume. He grinned when he saw the look in my eyes._

" _Well well well, you look different." He said, looking me up and down. "Nice suit."_

 _I wasn't surprised to see my hero costume had replaced my school uniform once again._

" _Thanks." I said with a grin. "But I think I look better in it." My older self threw back his head and laughed._

" _Cracking jokes now are we?" He giggled. "Are you even the same kid I met earlier?" I shrugged, still smiling._

" _Mostly." He raised his eyebrow._

" _What happened to you?" He asked._

" _A friend reminded me who I am, and who I want to be."_

" _And who is that?"_

 _At that moment the wolf broke down the door and entered the room. It stood on the opposite end, staring at us malevolently. Slobber leaked from its mouth and its fur bristled aggressively as its yellow, hate-filled eyes bored into us._

 _But, for the first time, I looked into the eyes without fear. I met the monster's gaze head on, without backing down. I turned back to my older self and thumbed the button on my helmet, the face plate sliding down._

" _Who am I, you ask?" I said to him. "I'm a hero."_

 _The wolf charged, and I charged forward to meet it. As we leapt at each other, I felt a smile grow on my face. The wolf stretched forward to claw at my belly, but I grabbed its throat and brought it to the ground. It yelped in pain, and I drew my fist back._

" _I'm a hero!" I yelled, punching the wolf in the head. As my fist connected with its head, the wolf exploded into stars and I was enveloped by blackness._

XXX

"Kokuree?" I heard a voice say softly. I opened my eyes to see my mom standing in the doorway, looking at me with concern. "Are you feeling up to dinner?" I smiled and sprang out of bed, startling my mom with my unexpected energy.

"Absolutely, dinner sounds awesome right now." I said. "What are we having?"

"Um...donburi and sushi…"

"Perfect! Let's go." I pushed past my mom and strode down the hall to the kitchen. My dad looked up and smiled at me as I entered the room, looking at me with the same concern as my mom had moments ago.

"Hey Kokuree, how you feeling bud-?"

"Hey dad!" I interrupted him. "I feel terrific, thanks for asking." I grinned as I looked past my dad and saw the table covered with food. I sat down and clasped my hands together.

"Thanks for the food, looks great!" I said cheerfully before tucking in to the food with gusto. My parents looked at each other in bewilderment, completely caught off guard by this sudden change. My mom looked at my dad, but he just shrugged and took his own seat and began to eat with me. My mom looked at us both incredulously for a moment, then dropped into her own seat and watched as I shoveled the food in.

Minutes later I pushed my plate away and sighed in contentment, rubbing my stomach happily.

"Aw man that was great, thanks again." I said. My parents nodded, still stunned. "Oh, by the way mom, I need my uniform washed and ironed for school tomorrow." That seemed to wake my mom out of her stupor, and she looked at me with a mix of shock and anger.

"School…?"

"Well yeah...I have school tomorrow." My mom narrowed her eyes dangerously.

"I thought that I said-"

"I know what you said mom." I cut her off, the smile leaving my face. "And while I respect your wishes, there isn't anything in the world that you could ever do or say that would stop me from going to U.A.. I belong at that school. I've made friends there, and I love it. You and dad both know that it's all I've dreamed of ever since I got my quirk."

"Of course we know that, but that doesn't change the fact that you were nearly killed at that place." My mom said.

"Mom, U.A. had nothing to do with that!" I countered. "If anything, it's because of U.A. that I'm still alive. My friends and teachers saved my life, they didn't put it in danger! And yes I fought villains, but I won! I beat those bad guys and sent them running! Don't you see, I know who I am now!"

"And who, exactly, are you Kokuree?" My dad asked.

I looked between my two parents and felt my chest fill with pride. My heart soared and I felt my heart beat strongly in my chest, but not from fear. I felt the weight of the world slip off my shoulders and I straightened my back proudly. I looked at my parents and smiled my best heroic smile.

"Mom...dad...I'm a Hero."

 **Hello all! Sorry for the long wait, I never intended to keep you all waiting for as long as I did. Now that I'm back in school things are definitely busier than they were, so unfortunately updates are not going to be as often as they once were. That being said, I will try to get a new chapter out every two weeks at the longest.**

 **Anyway, thank you all for reading this chapter, I hope you all liked it. Now for the reviews:**

 **Symbi0sis: That's an excellent suggestion, thank you!**

 **Victorsmyname: I'm glad that Shiamasu comes off as intended: real. The last thing I want from this story is for Shiamasu to come off as another wish-fulfillment, never-wrong, perfect person. I want him to be real and relatable with real feelings. I'm glad that I succeeded in that regard.**

 **Lord Terronus: Welcome back, I'm glad that my writing keeps you coming back. And never be afraid to fanboy (it only fuels my writing). Hope you liked this chapter.**

 **KyuubiNoPuma: Yes...Asui tongue *shudders*.**

 **RottingCrow: Thanks! I'm glad that you like Boosted, thanks for the review. Although I hope you don't make a habit out of reading it that late (or is it early?)**

 **Anywho, thank you all again for your reviews, they mean the world to me! And thank all of you who read this chapter, I hope it was up to par. If you're new to this story and like it, please show your support for it by following and/or favoriting it. And please, leave me a review. I really love to see all of your comments. Let me know what you all think! Anything and everything is welcome. Also, feel free to PM me if you want to talk or ask questions. That's it from me for now, see you all on the flipside.**


	13. Not So Fast

**Hey guys! Some of you may have noticed that I changed the description for Boosted, which I did because I didn't really like the old one and felt that it needed to be changed. Let me know what you think of it! Enjoy!**

I practically threw open the door to class 1-A, making my way into the room with a huge grin.

"Good morning everyone!" I called out cheerfully. I was met with a combination of confused looks, scowls, and grins as I walked over to my desk and sat down.

"Hey man," Kirishima greeted me. "Good to have you back, feeling any better?"

"I feel absolutely terrific, thanks for asking Kirishima!" I replied, still grinning. He returned my grin, albeit his was a little forced.

"Hey Shiamasu, are you sure you're okay?" Midoriya asked, standing next to Kirishima's desk. "You're acting...really cheerful."

"Is there anything wrong with being in a good mood?"

"N-no! That isn't what I meant at all!" Midoriya stammered. "It's just that...well…"

"Normally you're a little more subdued is what Deku is trying to say," Uraraka finished for Midoriya, who flashed her a relieved smile of gratitude.

"Hmmmm… I suppose you're right, I am usually less hyper," I admitted.

"It isn't just that," Kirishima began. "Yesterday you missed school, and only sent a cryptic text regarding your wellbeing. We all know that you were in a funk yesterday, but now you're acting like you just won the lottery, ended world hunger, and got a kiss from Mt. Lady all at once! What's the deal?"

I didn't answer right away. I wasn't sure if my friends needed to know the whole story about what happened the previous night right then and there; how I not only convinced my parents that I was going to be a hero no matter what and argued my way out of therapy, but also FINALLY conquered my fear of Sumisu and his nightmarish familiar all in one fell swoop. It wasn't that I didn't trust my friends, or that I felt they didn't deserve to know the whole story because they did. It was just that the whole ordeal would take awhile to explain, and I didn't think I'd be able to do the tale justice in the short few minutes we had before class started. So, I opted for an approach that has withstood the test of time and has worked countless times before: I gave a short and cryptic response that did nothing to answer their questions and only served to confuse them more.

"It's simple really," I said. "My fire was reignited." My classmates gawked at me, bewildered by my strange answer. But before they had a chance to reply, the classroom door slid open. It was hard to tell from the bandages that covered his face and arms like a mummy, but I recognized that greasy black hair and slouch anywhere.

"Good morning Mr. Aizawa!" I called out in a cheerful sing-song voice. "You look terrible today!" Mr. Aizawa turned to regard me, his uncovered bloodshot eyes boring into me.

"Shiamasu," He said, his voice muffled by the bandages. "Sit down so we can get started. Also, stop being so cheerful. It's unsettling."

"You got it, Mr. A!"

"Never call me that again."

"Sure thing!" Mr. Aizawa breathed a sigh of relief as I finally sat down, but the grin didn't leave my face. Mr. Aizawa may have been sour grapes, but I wasn't going to let his dismal attitude rub off on me.

Our teacher's eyes swept over the room and, satisfied that we were all settled in and attentive, lowered to a stack of papers that lay on his desk.

"Since a certain ray of sunshine was absent yesterday, my superiors deemed it necessary to hold off on explaining the next step in your collective paths to becoming pros. Now that Shiamasu has returned, I can make the following announcement…"

' _Announcement? What does that mean?'_ I wondered.

"...the U.A. sports festival is about to begin."

"Yes!" I heard Kirishima exclaim happily next to me as the rest of the class began to bombard Mr. Aizawa with questions and comments. "Let's go kick some as-!"

"Wait a second there buddy," Kaminari interrupted Kirishima, holding his hand against his mouth.

"Sir?" Jiro raised a hand, fiddling with her earphones absentmindedly with the other. "Is it really such a good idea to hold the sports festival so soon after those villains snuck onto campus?"

"If they wanted to, they could attack while we're all in the same place," Ojiro added. Mr. Aizawa spoke up before anyone else could voice their own opinions.

"Apparently the administration thinks that this is a good way to show that the threat has been handled and that the school is safer than ever." He said. "Plus, they're beefing up security compared to previous years. This event is a huge opportunity for all students, it's not something we can just cancel because of a couple of villains."

Truer words had never been said. The U.A. Sports Festival was the premiere quirk-related athletics event in the country, maybe even the entire world. U.A. received a huge fraction of its yearly budget from the revenue generated from the event every year in merchandise alone, not counting the profits from tickets, TV airtime, and concessions. Before quirks became a part of society, the world watched games such as the Olympics to see the best that the world had to offer. And while the Olympics are still around, they have largely been replaced by quirk games, namely the U.A. Sports Festival. I mean, it was BIG.

That isn't even the whole truth about the games either. While the majority of the people who watch the games simply do it for the spectacle and entertainment, the event has a much more serious purpose; a purpose that makes the festival both the most dreaded and the most anticipated event for U.A. students.

The U.A. Sports Festival was also meant for students to showcase themselves to pro heroes and their agencies in the hopes of being scouted. It was basically a requirement to be a pro hero that you had to do well in the Festival, if not win it outright. Students had to give it their all and use their quirks to their fullest potentials if they wanted to even have a chance at making a career as a pro.

"Our sports festival is one of the most watched events in the entire world," Mr. Aizawa continued, echoing my own thoughts. "In the past everyone obsessed over the olympic games, but then quirks started appearing. Now the olympics have been reduced drastically in both scale and viewership. Now for anyone who cares about competition there's only one tournament that matters: the U.A. Sports Festival."

"That's right, and top heroes everywhere will be watching," Yaoyorozu chimed in, clenching her fist dramatically. "This is where you get scouted."

"That's right, after graduating a lot of people join pro agencies as a sidekick," Kaminari said.

"Yeah, but they'll only ever be sidekicks if they don't do well in the Festival," I commented, my cheer fading a bit as the gravity of the discussion set in.

"It's true that joining a famous hero agency can garner you greater experience and popularity," Mr. Aizawa stated, leveling his gaze on us seriously. "That's why the sports festival matters. If you want to go pro one day then this event can open a path for you. One chance a year, three chances a lifetime. No aspiring hero can afford to miss this festival. That means you better not slack off on your training."

"Yes sir!" We all replied. As Mr. Aizawa traded places with Cementoss for our morning lessons, the smile on my face began to wither. It was great that I had achieved so many mental victories the previous night, but did they really have to be replaced with another thing to worry about so soon?

' _Can't a guy catch a break?'_ I thought morosely. I tried to stay focused, but my mind inevitably wandered as Cementoss began to drill us on the basics of Modern Literature and the prose of the written word. Instead of taking notes for class, I planned out the next two weeks down to the minute in order to maximize my training time. Or at least I tried to. There was just one problem…

Training with my quirk was basically impossible. Sure I had tried to experiment with Boost every once and awhile, but the toll it took on my body usually made it not worth the effort. All I really knew about my quirk was the amount of time I could spend at each level and the strain that each level put on my body. After all, why would I spend fifteen minutes training with my quirk when I wouldn't be able to move at all for an hour afterwards? It was counterproductive.

While I had trained my body to near perfect physical condition in order to counter that, my lack of knowledge and experience with my own power still put me at a huge disadvantage. Sure, my quirk was extremely powerful, but so were all of my classmates' quirks and they all had the luxury of years of studying, practicing, and experimenting with their quirks. They had all learned every little nuance of their powers, and I was all too aware of that fact. And that left me with the enigma of my training routine for the next two weeks.

' _I could try to train and experiment with Boost, but that would absorb at least three times more time and effort than normal training would. Besides, the odds of my finding anything new about my quirk are pretty low anyway.'_ I mused, absentmindedly drawing little circles onto my notebook as I pondered. ' _On the other hand, I could just train my normal body in preparation for the Festival. But I'm already in great condition, so that would only have minimal effects on my body. And I can't forget that I still need to save time for schoolwork... ugh. What a pain.'_

I was so absorbed in my inner debate that I hadn't noticed that class had ended until everyone began pushing back their seats and grabbing their bags for lunch. I snapped my notebook closed and grabbed my bag hurriedly, my eyes darting around the room in search of my friends.

I spotted Kirishima by the front of the room, talking animatedly with Tokoyami, Sero, and Sato. I arrived just in time for Kirishima to clench both fists and yell with a grin:

"-but I am pumped for these games!"

"If we put on a good show, then we're basically on the road to being pros!" Sero said.

"Yeah, this is why I'm even here in the first place." Sato chimed in, slamming his fist into his palm.

"And with so few chances, we have to make the most of this." Tokoyami said.

"Well I certainly feel sorry for the rest of you; you're all going to be eating my dust in these games!" I said, grinning to show I wasn't serious. They all rounded on me, their faces lighting up with their own determined smiles.

"Big talk Shiamasu, but can you back it up?" Kirishima asked.

"You know it, softie," I replied. Kirishima grinned wider and raised his hand, hardening it into a jagged spear.

"This look soft to you tough guy?" He laughed. I laughed too and clapped him on the shoulder, and after a moment the rest of the guys joined in.

"I SAID I'M GONNA DO MY BEST!" A voice roared. The laughter died in our throats as we whirled around to face the perpetrator of the sudden and violent exclamation.

"Ur-Uraraka?" I stammered, suddenly feeling very cold as I stared into her eyes. "Are you okay?" I had never seen anyone look so intense before, especially not her. Uraraka was usually so warm and bubbly, but now a passionate fire burned in her big brown eyes. Her determined face didn't soften as we nodded, acknowledging that we had heard her, and she turned back around to continue her conversation with Iida and Midoriya.

Thoroughly unsettled, I grabbed Kirishima and we hustled out of there. Once we were a ways down the hall, I breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled.

"Gee, have you ever seen Uraraka like that?" I asked, elbowing Kirishima. "It was actually pretty scary."

"Yeah yeah, very intimidating," He replied quickly. I turned my head and was surprised to see that Kirishima's normally cheerful face had a frown painted on instead.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked. "What's on your mind?"

"It isn't my mind I'm thinking about," He said, turning his head towards mine. "It's yours. You owe me an explanation. Big time. I want to hear everything, down to the smallest detail. You really worried us all yesterday, not a very manly move."

I sighed. I had seen this coming, but I still wasn't happy that I had been right.

"Look, let's grab our food and wait for Tokoyami and Kaminari to arrive," I said. "I'd really prefer to not have to tell this story more than once." Kirishima nodded, and just like that the old him was back, grinning and challenging me to a speed walking race to the cafeteria. Of course, he didn't bother to wait for me to agree and instead took off down the hallway, leaving me laughing and trying to catch up.

XXX

"...and that's about it," I concluded. I leaned back in my seat, worn out from telling the long and emotionally taxing story. My friends sat around me in stunned silence, each of them mulling over my tale. I looked at each of their faces one by one, trying to guess what they were thinking.

Kirishima was gripping his spoon with white knuckles, his arm trembling from the strength of his grip. He glared down at his bowl, apparently speechless with rage.

Kaminari was covering his mouth with one hand and tapping the table rapidly with the other, staring past my head and out into nothing.

Tokoyami had his eyes closed, and if you didn't know him you would have thought he looked nonplussed. But I could tell from the way his feathers bristled, the angle of his beak, and the slow tap...tap...tap of his foot that he was beside himself with anger.

Midoriya, who had overheard the beginning of our conversation and had turned towards us to listen, stared right at me. His eyes were full of concern and compassion and he looked unsure of whether to hug me or run outside and track down Ryuketsu and Sumisu himself.

I was the one who finally broke the silence, chuckling softly and saying:

"Jeez, you guys are acting like my parents just died. You're allowed to say something you know."

"...just...woah…" Kaminari said. "I'm so sorry Shiamasu. I can't even imagine how awful that must have been. And for a little kid to have gone through that…"

"You're the manliest person I've ever met, Shiamasu!" Kirishima declared, smalling his fist onto the table. "You had to put up with all that, and you were still able to find the courage to become a hero! It's almost enough to bring a tear to my eye."

"Forgive me, Shiamasu." Tokoyami said, opening his eyes and looking into mine. "I never would have allowed you to go off alone had I known that those other villains were lying in wait. Had we stayed together, perhaps you would not have been so gravely injured. I take full responsibility."

"No Tokoyami, don't blame yourself!" I replied. "Splitting up was a good idea, it's my own fault that I allowed myself to get hurt like that. I should have run away when they first appeared; it was my arrogance that gave me this scar, not you."

"Shiamasu, I know exactly how you feel," Midoriya blurted out. Midoriya then looked down at his plate quickly, as if regretting what he just said. "It's just that… well you've seen the way Kacchan treats me. I know what it's like to get bullied, and I admire your strength of will to be able to overcome it. I wish I had stood up to Kacchan when we were younger like you did with Sumisu."

"Yeah, but at least you had a super powerful quirk to back you up, Midoriya." Kirishima said. "Shiamasu was basically quirkless back then, which makes the fact that he still found the strength to go on before his quirk awakened even more impressive."

Midoriya stiffened but didn't reply, instead staring down at his plate, not meeting any of our eyes. My eyes narrowed ever so slightly as I looked at Midoriya's slouched frame. I felt a thought hovering at the edge of my consciousness, a realization that darted back and forth just out of reach. But after a moment it was gone and the feeling passed.

I looked at each of my friends and slowly began to smile, overwhelmed by the support and comradery I was receiving.

' _This is it…'_ I thought. ' _The bond between heroes.'_

"Thank you…" I said. "Thank you all." Kirishima grinned and knocked back his glass of juice, slamming the glass back onto the table.

"Alright, I think that's enough sad stuff for one day!" He said. "I think it's high time we talked about the Sports Festival. Specifically, how you're all going to lose to me."

The table erupted in noise as everyone began talking at once, a combination of yelling at Kirishima, laughter, boasts, and curses. He sat in the center of it all, laughing and shaking his fist at everyone. Unbeknownst to us, a general education student just so happened to be walking by as we were all caught in our revelry.

The student, a 2nd year girl with short brown hair and glasses, froze and stared at us all for a moment. Fast as lightning, she unslung the camera that hung around her neck and snapped a few pictures of us, smiling as she did so.

' _This is perfect!'_ She thought excitedly. ' _The rest of the yearbook committee is going to love this!'_

And she was right, they did love it. It was a once in a lifetime shot, a picture that perfectly captured the soul of U.A.'s hero course: friendship...competition...joy...and of course, a few flashy displays of power.

XXX

After lunch we had Heroing 101 with All Might, who looked good as new. As I took my seat, he strolled over to my desk while I was bent over my seat, rummaging around in my bag for my notebook.

I jerked back involuntarily as I sat back up, surprised by the sight of All Might's face a mere inches from my own. It was a pretty strange sight, All Might bent more than 90 degrees at the waist.

"Um...Mr. All Might sir? Is there something you need?" I asked, unsettled by All Might's black eyes that glowed with power so close to my own. He cupped his hands over his mouth and leaned in closer.

"Mr. Aizawa needs to see you in the teacher's lounge right away, young Shiamasu." All Might whispered, which was only slightly quieter than his normal heroic yells. I nodded, slightly shell-shocked from All Might's booming voice, and made my way out of the classroom.

A minute later I stood outside of the teacher's lounge, unsure of whether to just go right in or to knock. I raised my hand to knock...then put it down and reached for the handle...then raised it again.

"Come in," I heard Mr. Aizawa call from inside. Shocked by his order, I took an involuntary step forward and walked right into the door.

I opened the door with one hand and rubbed the sore spot on my forehead with the other. Mr. Aizawa sat on one of the couches, a pile of papers spread across the coffee table in front of him. He didn't even look up as I walked into the room and closed the door behind me.

"Have a seat, Shiamasu," He said, gesturing to the couch across from him. I crossed the room and sank into the surprisingly soft cushions of the couch. He still had yet to look at me. For a few seconds neither of us said a word; Mr. Aizawa absorbed in the papers in front of him and me staring at my teacher expectantly, squirming slightly from the silence.

"...um...Mr. Aizawa?" I began. "How did you know I was outside?" Mr. Aizawa didn't say anything for a moment.

"I heard you coming down the hall." He said. "Those custom shoes of yours make a very distinct sound when you walk. "

"Oh…" I said, glancing down at my expensive white running shoes.

"Now, let's get down to business." Mr. Aizawa said. "Grab those papers and take a look. Can you tell me what they are?"

I swept my arm across the table and looked down at the papers in my hand, my eyes skimming each one briefly before moving on to the next. Less than a minute later I had my answer.

"They're all quizzes, sir."

"Well, your statement of the obvious gets an A," He said, his tone as monotonous as ever. "Too bad the rest of your grades don't." I frowned, puzzled.

"I'm sorry Mr. Aizawa...I don't understand what you mean. My grades should all be up to par."

"Well they were," he droned. "In fact, before the USJ attack you were number 4 in the class. However, you are now failing math, modern literature, english, and history."

I sat in stunned silence, my brain struggling to comprehend his words.

"...What?" I eventually managed to say. "That's impossible. I've nailed every exam we've had this year!"

"You're half right. You've nailed every exam you've taken this year...however, you have not taken every exam."

At that point it began to make sense. I looked down in horror at the stack of quizzes in my hands.

"...You mean…?" I whispered. Mr. Aizawa nodded.

"Looks like you're finally catching on," He said. "Those quizzes in your hands are the quizzes you missed when you were absent yesterday."

"But I can make them up right?" Mr. Aizawa was already shaking his head before I was even done talking.

"No, you can't make these quizzes up." He said, his eyes boring unapologetically into mine. "If you had paid attention to the U.A. curriculum guide you received on the first day, you would have known that our classes have a zero tolerance absence policy for any unexcused absence that is not life-threatening or some kind of family emergency. Seeing that you don't meet either of those requirements, you are barred from making up these quizzes. They're zeroes now, and they'll stay zeroes. "

I struggled to force down my rising panic. Cold sweat began to trickle down my sides from my armpits and I swallowed the bile that had risen to my throat.

"...But it's okay right?" I finally asked, trying to keep my voice from shaking. "I still have plenty of time to bring my grades up right?"

"Oh, of course." Mr. Aizawa said with a nod. "With your work ethic and intellect, you should have no problem bringing your grades back up to where they were before the end of the semester."

I breathed a sigh of relief and relaxed back against the couch.

"Unfortunately, that isn't why I called you in here." Mr. Aizawa continued. I tensed once again and felt the icy ball of anxiety refreeze in the pit of my stomach. "You see, your grades will be fine by the end of the semester, but they will not be fine two weeks from now."

"...wait...two weeks from now… you mean the Sports Festival?" I asked. He nodded.

"Unfortunately for you, Shiamasu, in order for students to be allowed to participate in the Sports Festival they need to maintain a passing average. An average which you do not have."

"...no…" Was all I had the strength to say. It couldn't be true, it just couldn't. Barred from the Sports Festival because of my grades? It had to be a joke, some kind of sick prank played by Mr. Aizawa to get a rise out of me.

But I knew in my heart that he wasn't joking. The trickle of sweat became a steady flow as my heart rate seemed to increase exponentially. My chest tightened and I suddenly couldn't get enough air.

"However…" Mr. Aizawa said slowly. "You do have a chance to bring your grades up in time."

"What is it?" I practically yelled, leaning in close to my teacher. "Just tell me and I'll do it!" Mr. Aizawa's bandages moved near his eyes, meaning he raised an eyebrow.

"I did the math. If you get a perfect score on every assignment, assessment, project, or other graded activity from now until the day before the Sport's Festival, you will have an average that _just barely_ makes the cut."

I exhaled hard, my mind already racing with the implications of my teacher's news.

' _A 100 on every assignment… it'll mean quite a few all nighters, but I think I can pull it off. I'm a smart guy, I can do this.'_ I thought.

"Okay, I'll do it," I said, standing up. "A perfect score on every assignment...no problem. You can count on me Mr. Aizawa."

Mr. Aizawa didn't look terribly impressed at my declaration as he looked up at me from his position on the couch.

"You sure you can handle this?" He asked. "A perfect score on every assignment is no easy task. You may very well just drive yourself crazy trying to accomplish this task. Besides, there's always the other two chances you have."

I shook my head.

"No." I replied, steadfast. "I will be participating in this year's Sports Festival. You just watch me."

I couldn't see his eyes from my angle, but it suddenly felt as if the room had gotten considerably colder. His scarf began to hover dangerously, swaying like a cobra about to strike.

"You just watch me, sir." I repeated. The scarf fell back down.

"Oh, I will." He said. "Now get back to class. You can't afford to be missing any class time."

I bowed and, turning on my heel, left the room.

XXX

I groaned and banged my head on my desk, my eyes screwed shut in exasperation and hopelessness.

"Ouch, I heard that." Kirishima said, his slightly staticy and synthesized voice echoing from my phone. "But I'm sure it's not as bad as you think it is."

"No man, it is that bad." I said, lifting my head up and sifting through a pile of papers that were scattered across my desk. "I've crunched the numbers like seven times, this is hopeless. If I study every day and do nothing but schoolwork, then I MAY be able to get a 100 on every assignment. But even if I do that, I'm still not guaranteed to succeed. And then I'll be going on about 4-5 hours of sleep a night, which decreases my chances even more. Not to mention that that leaves me with absolutely no time for any kind of training."

Kirishima sighed statically.

"Well...it certainly seems a little hopeless." He admitted.

"Come on," I groaned. "I called you because you were supposed to tell me that I could do it, not the opposite."

"Right, right. Sorry." He apologized. "You got this!"

"No, now it's too late." I sighed. "Now it just doesn't sound sincere."

"...sorry…" Neither of us said anything for a few moments, then suddenly there was a staticy exclamation from Kirishima.

"Hey! Maybe you should get a tutor!" He suggested. "You may be able to get more done that way!"

"A tutor, huh…?" I mused. "I've never had one before…"

"Oh man they're great!" Kirishima said, getting more and more excited. "I used to get tutored in math, and boy did my tutor help me! I can do math in my sleep now. Trust me, get a tutor."

"...alright, I'll talk to my parents about it. Thanks Kirishima, you've been a real help."

"Hey no problem man! Happy to help."

"Alright, see ya Kirishima." I reached for my phone.

"Wait wait wait, hold on!" Kirishima insisted.

"What is it?" I asked, my finger hovering over the hang-up button.

"I just wanted to say...I thought about what you said earlier. I'm glad that you're fire has been reignited, Shiamasu."

I smiled, gratitude swelling in my heart.

"Thanks Kirishima." I said. "You're a good friend."

"The best there is, pal!" He declared. "See ya tomorrow buddy!"

"Bye."

I hung up and rubbed my face with my hands, suddenly feeling exhausted. I shook my head and slapped my face a few times to wake up. After all, I had a long night of studying ahead of me. But first, I opened my laptop and accessed the internet.

' _Now...time to find a tutor.'_

XXXXX

Satow Juro was exhausted. He hadn't slept in nearly 48 hours and was kept awake by a combination of fear, adrenaline, and double shots of espresso. He rubbed his puffy, bloodshot eyes and pushed his greasy, sweat-matted hair back.

He peered at the schematics in front of him again. He groaned and lay his head on his cluttered desk.

"Taking a break are we?" A sinister voice said. Juro lifted his head off the table and looked into the darkest corner of his office. Sure enough, a pair or blood-red eyes leered back at him from the gloom.

"You only have thirteen more days to finish my equipment," The villain Phobia hissed. "That doesn't exactly leave a lot of time for breaks, does it?"

"I already told you, what you want is impossible!" Juro protested, still managing to find a spark of his old arrogance despite the hopelessness of his situation. "There's just no way I can develop all of this tech for you in just 13 days! The human body just isn't meant to go that long!"

"I'm sorry, could you say that again?" Phobia asked innocently, his eyes aimed at a point directly above Juro. "I was a little distracted by my pet. He's doing the cutest little thing up there."

Juro's eyes widened in horror and he tried to tell himself not to look up. But it was too late. Like a puppet on a string, he felt his head being drawn back, his eyes slowly making their way across his ceiling before coming to a stop directly overhead.

A grotesque spider glared spitefully down at Juro, its eight eyes filled with hate and a demonic hunger. The creature's hairless brown body quivered and pulsated with every beat of its heart which sent black blood coursing through its veins. The spider's mandibles opened and closed and it hissed at Juro, causing the man to squeal in horror and whip his head back down.

Phobia cackled, delighted at the man's reaction to the sight of his worst nightmare.

"Ah...I live for that!" The madman declared with a contented sigh. "There is nothing like seeing the light of fear in another man's eyes, wouldn't you say?"

Juro began to cry silently. Phobia tsked.

"Now now, it's okay." The villain said. "As long as you do everything I ask my pet won't harm a hair on your head. And before you know it, I'll be gone. So let's just work together on this, shall we? The sooner you finish, the sooner I'll leave. I know that I'm good company, but I can see that you're a very busy man and as much as the thought of me leaving pains you, you need to get back to work on your real duties, don't you? So chin up and get back to work!"

Juro sniffed and scrubbed the tears from his eyes.

"Fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh-fine." Juro stammered. "But let me just ask you one thing: why do you need all of this stuff anyway?"

"...why?" Phobia repeated. "Why do I need all of this stuff? Well...the answer is simple really. There is a certain snot-nosed little brat at U.A. who needs to die. And to be quite honest, I wouldn't be opposed to killing his little friends either. But to do that, I need this equipment."

Juro sat in stunned silence for a moment, then began to laugh a humorless, insane laugh.

"Oh god hehehehe killing kids…" Juro half moaned half laughed. "You really are a twisted fuck aren't you? And who is this poor kid I'm helping you murder? What's his name?"

Phobia didn't reply immediately, and silence filled the room like an oppressive mist.

"His name…" Phobia finally said. "Is Kokuree Shiamasu."

 **Dun dun duuuuuun! Ryuketsu has returned! Hey guys! Now let me start with this absolutely thrilling (at least thrilling to me) piece of news: an artist on Deviant Art is making a piece for Boosted! Needless to say, I'm freaking over the moon about this and I cannot wait to see how it turns out. I'm going to keep the contents of the piece a secret, but if you're really dying to know then PM me. I hope you all are as excited about it as I am. Now, the reviews from the previous chapter:**

 **Victorsmyname: Yes, Shiamasu back to normal. Too bad another curveball was thrown his way by his cold homeroom teacher. And don't worry, I believe that I have found a good writing schedule, so I should be able to pump out chapters at a decent pace from now on. Thanks for your continued support!**

 **Celestial Stratos: Yes, as stated in this chapter, Shiamasu has FINALLY conquered his fear over Sumisu and Sumisu's manifestation inside Shiamasu's head.**

 **Lord Terronus: Wow, really? I'm thrilled that you loved the last chapter as much as you did, but I think that I have much better things in store for this story. I'm glad that the character development is having the desired effects, and that Shiamasu is becoming more than an OC in a fanfiction. Plus Ultra to you too!**

 **Zerom1v: Yeah, go Kokuree! That's my boy *sniffs tearfully*. I'm glad you liked the chapter!**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter! For those of you frequent readers, I hope you'll continue to follow Boosted and show support for the story. For you newcomers, if you liked the story so far then please show your support by following and/or favoriting the story. And for all of you, please leave me a review or PM me with any thoughts, suggestions, praise, or criticism. Let me know what you think! Also, I'm going to try and get into the habit of posting a new chapter every sunday morning or every other sunday morning. See you all on the flipside.**


	14. Blue Like The Sky part 1

"Okay, let me make sure I understand everything you're saying," My dad said, pointing his pair of chopsticks at me. "First: you're failing a few of your classes at U.A. because you missed school yesterday and missed a bunch of quizzes."

"Yes." I said, hanging me head.

"Second: they aren't allowing you to make them up because your reasons for missing school weren't serious enough to warrant you missing school in the first place?"

"Yes."

"Third: Since you're failing these classes, they won't allow you to participate in the Sports Festival?"

"As of right now, I will not be able to participate."

"...well…" My dad sighed, pushing his bowl away. "This is certainly a fine mess you've gotten yourself into."

"I know, I know. This is really bad" I said. "But at least it isn't completely hopeless-"

I jumped as my dad slammed his hand down on the table in a rare display of anger.

"Dammit, that isn't the point Kokuree!" He exclaimed. "So what if you have a chance, we shouldn't even be having this discussion in the first place!"

"Kuse!" My mom said, glaring at my dad. He glowered back for a moment, then seemed to notice his own anger. He exhaled, his featurings softening and his body relaxing as he allowed his anger to seep away.

"Look Kokuree," He began, calmer now. "I'm not mad at you. You've been an exceptional student and an outstanding son to us your whole life. You're attending the most rigorous and noteworthy school in the country, and you've even beaten up a few bad guys all by yourself. Your mother and I couldn't be prouder of how hard you've worked and how well you're doing. Really, I'm not angry with you at all. But, I am absolutely LIVID at U.A."

"I am as well," My mom chimed in. "How could they not make an exception for you missing school _the day after villains attacked_? That school allowed intruders onto their campus and they want to punish you!? You almost died under that school's supervision! I have half a mind to call the school and demand they allow you to retake those quizzes!"

"Mom, dad, I know you guys are upset," I said, trying to placate them. "But it isn't U.A.'s fault. U.A. didn't allow those bad guys onto campus: they broke in themselves. And if it wasn't for the pros at U.A. then I would have died for sure. U.A. didn't almost kill me, it saved my life."

"Be that as it may, it's still absolutely outrageous that they won't allow you to retake those quizzes on the grounds that you 'don't meet the requirements for absence'," my dad said, putting up air quotes sarcastically. "Can't you just say that you were still recovering from your _life-threatening_ injuries?"

I was already shaking my head before my dad had even gotten done talking.

"I've read through the student handbook at least half a dozen times tonight," I began. "U.A. makes it very clear what their absence policy is. There are very, very few exceptions to their policy. And honestly, it makes sense that U.A. would be so strict regarding grades and attendance. U.A. is training us to be the next generation of heroes, right? Well, unlike almost every other job a person can have, heroes can't have sick or personal days. They're like policeman, or firefighters, or soldiers in that regard. They need to always be ready and available to stop villains or save lives in the event of a crisis. U.A. is teaching us every aspect of being heroes; that includes complete dedication to being a hero. That means no sick days. And going back to the fact that villains attacked U.A., do you really think that U.A. wants kids who shut down after one fight? Sure, it was a major breach of security and we were just a bunch of untrained teenagers, but we're also heroes in training. Once we graduate we're going to be out there fighting villains every day. U.A. is saying that if you break after one fight, then you don't belong there."

"Yes, but-" My mom tried to say.

"Besides, it was Recovery Girl who patched me up. She knows that my injuries had completely healed by the time she sent me home, so we can't say that I was still recovering."

"Fine, forget trying to fight the system." My dad said, growing annoyed again. "But what about the Sports Festival? Isn't it compulsory for all students to participate?"

"Well...yes and no." I answered. "The two main purposes for the Sports Festival are to generate revenue for the school and to help get the students noticed by support companies, financial firms, hero agencies, etc. The latter is the most important of the two, and as such it's in every student's best interest to participate. However, the Sports Festival is still, at its core, a school event. That means that it is a privilege for students to participate: a privilege that can be revoked. It makes sense that U.A. would have a rule like this in place because, for all of the glory and prestige it gets for being the gate to the fast track for success, it is still at its core a school. And, being the highest regarded academic institution in the country, how can it possibly allow students to participate in a school event who are failing classes? They have a reputation to uphold, and while it kind of screws me, I do accept the reasoning behind the rule."

My parents looked at each other, then my dad chuckled softly and ran a hand through his hair.

"Jeez Kokuree," He said. "If it wasn't for this whole hero thing you'd have made one fine lawyer."

"Come on dad," I said, chuckling softly myself. "Now really isn't the time for jokes."

"I agree," my mom chimed in sternly, silencing my dad and I. "But Kokuree, if you're failing these classes doesn't the school mandate you take extra classes in order to improve your grades?"

"If they do, they haven't told me anything about them." I replied. "I'll look up U.A. specific cram schools after dinner, but as of right now I don't know of any. And to be honest, I do like Kirishima's idea of getting a tutor."

"I'm going to be honest, I never expected that you'd need a tutor Kokuree," My dad said. "School has always come so naturally to you…"

"Just to be clear, I'm not getting a tutor because I don't understand the work." I said, somewhat offended. "It's just that I need to find ways to both do my work to perfection and train. The next two weeks are going to be all about efficiency, and I believe that a tutor will help teach me ways to do my work faster and more efficiently so that I can free up as much time as possible to train."

"Do you have any particular tutors in mind?" My mom asked. "Have you researched them at all?"

"I have, actually," I answered. "I already have one in mind. According to her website her hours are flexible and fit perfectly with mine, and her rates are pretty fair too."

"She?" My dad asked, raising an eyebrow. I rolled my eyes as my mom elbowed my dad in his side, eliciting a good-humored grunt.

"Yes dad, she. As in she's a girl. A female. Not a male."

"Watch the attitude," My mom said. "You're in no position to be rude Kokuree."

"I'm sorry."

"Just think before you speak," My mom said, moving to clear the table. "But I'm glad that you've been proactive in finding a solution for your dilemna. Now go give that girl a call."

"Don't you need help washing up?" I asked, handing her my empty bowl and glass.

"You're excused for the time being," She replied. "Time is not on your side at the moment, so every second counts."

"Yeah, you're right." I agreed, pushing back my stool. "Thanks for dinner mom and dad."

"You're wasting time," My dad said, joining my mom at the sink. Nodding, I turned and went back into my room, closing the door behind me. I slid into the seat at my desk and booted up my laptop. A few taps and clicks later I had the tutor's website pulled up and her number entered into my phone. I hit the call button and raised the phone to my ear, slowly spinning in my chair as the phone rang. Three rings later, there was a staticky click as the call was answered on the other end and a chipper yet hesitant teenage female voice filled my ear.

" _Hello?_ " The person said.

"Hi, is this the number for the high school tutor I found online?" I asked.

" _Oh! Yes that's me!"_ The voice answered, far friendlier and relaxed now.

"Okay great! Listen, I have a bit of a unique situation, do you think you could help me out?"

" _Hmm...Well I'm sure that I'd be able to help you, but why don't you explain what your situation is before I make any promises._ "

"You see…" I began, rubbing the back of my neck. "I really don't need any help with my schoolwork per say, it's just that I need strategies to do my work faster. And I only have two weeks to learn and implement them. AND I need to get perfect scores on every assignment, assessment, and project I'm given."

"..." The girl didn't respond at first, and for a brief moment I was worried that she was going to turn me away. I took a breath to try to explain further, but she beat me to it.

" _Sounds like you're in a quite a fix,"_ She said. I chuckled, relieved that she had replied.

"You can say that again. So, do you think you can help me?"

" _Oh, without a doubt I can. But I have to ask, why didn't you just look up strategies on the internet?"_

"Most of the ones I found weren't useful to me, and you know how it is trying to learn things online. It takes twice as long to learn something from the internet than it takes to just be taught the same skill in person. And I really can't afford to be wasting any time."

" _I see...well you've certainly come to the right place for help! As it says on my website, I guarantee complete satisfaction and reasonable rates… oh wait. I'm sorry, but I recently entered into a new school and unfortunately my hours are no longer as flexible as they once were…"_

"Oh, there's no need to worry about that." I said. "I saw the announcement on your website, and luckily for us our schedules align perfectly."

" _Fantastic!"_ She said. " _So, when would you like to have our first session?"_

"Hmm...what day is it again? Friday right?"

" _Yes, so tomorrow is Saturday."_

"Okay, does tomorrow morning work for you? Around 9 o'clock?"

" _That shouldn't be a problem, just give me a moment to check my planner."_ I rubbed my thumb around the edge of my index finger in tiny circles as the girl on the other end hummed to herself. I could vaguely heard the muffled sounds of pages being flipped as the girl turned the pages of her planner.

" _Yyyyyep!_ " She finally said. " _9 am tomorrow is perfect, I'll just need your address and name."_

"Great!" I replied. "I live in apartment B9 in the Shouzi apartment complex of Kazugaya city, I hope that isn't too far for you."

" _Hey what do you know!"_ The girl exclaimed, laughing " _I live in the next city over, we're practically neighbors."_

"Oh, that is pretty funny," I agreed, chuckling. "What a coincidence."

" _Yeah, weird huh? Anyway, I have the directions to your apartment all ready to go, I just need your name."_

"Right, I'm Kokuree Shiamasu." I faintly heard the girl clacking away on her computer through my phone's speaker.

" _Kookuree...is your name spelled S, H, I, A, M, A, S, U?"_ She asked. I nodded, then shook my head and kicked myself as I realized that she couldn't see me.

"Yes, that's correct," I replied.

" _Okay Shiamasu! We're all set for 9 am tomorrow! Be ready to work!"_

"I'll be ready. Oh, wait! What's your nam-?" But it was too late, the girl had already hung up leaving me with nothing but a dial tone as an answer. I set my phone on my desk.

' _At least she sounds nice.'_ I thought.

XXXXX

 **Bing Bong!** The doorbell chimed the next morning.

"I got it!" I called out, rushing from the couch to the door.

"Be friendly!" My mom called out from my parents' bedroom. "Offer her something to drink and thank her!" I smiled and rolled my eyes, running a hand through my hair as I reached for the doorknob. Of course I would be polite, I wasn't an idiot.

"Hello-"

"Hi there!" The chipper girl standing in front of me said, cutting me off. "You're Shiamasu, right?"

"Yeah that's me, you're my tutor?"

"Yep!" She replied, beaming and sticking out her hand. "My name is Maiyo Chi, it's super nice to meet you!"

Chi was about my height, maybe an inch or two shorter. She had hair that was blue like the sky that flowed freely down her head and down her back like a waterfall. She had an undeniably cute face that was accentuated by her sapphire eyes and clear complexion. When she smiled she showcased dazzling white teeth that glittered like pearls. She wore a plain white hoodie and pair of American denim jeans. She had a blue book bag slung around her shoulder with a patch of All Might's face sewn onto the strap.

"Hi Chi, I'm Kokuree Shiamasu, I'm honored to make your acquaintance." I said, smiling and shaking her hand. She giggled.

"Ooh, so polite." She said. "Your parents did a good job with you."

"Thank you!" My mom yelled from the back of the apartment. I sighed and rubbed the bridge of my nose while Chi covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her giggles.

"Do you want anything? Maybe some water?" I asked, stepping aside as Chi walked into the apartment.

"No, thank you for the offer though," Chi answered, putting her shoes by the door. "Do you have somewhere where we can work?"

"Yeah, my room is right back here just follow me." I led Chi through the kitchen and down the hall to my room, making a point to leave the door open as Chi and I went in to keep my overly cautious parents off my back.

"Here, you can take the nice chair," I said, pulling the cushioned swivel chair towards her. She nodded gratefully and took the chair, her eyes sweeping across my room. She stiffened when her eyes landed on my closet which was open a few inches: just enough for the light to land on my U.A. uniform.

"Is that…?"

"Oh, yeah that's my uniform," I said. Her eyes widened and she looked at me in awe. "I take it you know what that is?"

"You go to U.A.?!" She exclaimed, not so much a question as it was a declaration. I nodded, causing her to squeal and drop her bag on the floor. She darted to my closet and yanked out my uniform.

"Wowwowwow!" She chirped, running her hands over every inch of the outfit. "I can't believe I'm holding a real U.A. uniform! Oh man would you look at that craftsmanship! The fabric is so soft! But so durable too! It looks like it fits you perfectly, does it? And this tie! Let me just rub it!"

I started laughing as Chi continued to fondle my uniform. She looked up at the sound of my laughing and, embarrassed, she put my uniform back in the closet and shut the door.

"So, you're a U.A. student then?" She asked, blushing slightly. I nodded.

"Yeah, I was accepted a few weeks ago. I'm still new there." I answered.

"Wow…" She breathed. "To think that I'd be able to tutor a U.A. student...it's unbelievable. If you don't mind me asking, what track are you at U.A.?"

"No, I don't mind at all," I said, standing up straighter and puffing out my chest ever so slightly. "I'm on the hero track." Somehow, her eyes got even wider than they did when she saw my uniform and for a second I thought she might faint as her jaw dropped.

"...Oh. My. God." She said. "You're going to be a pro?"

"That's the plan," I answered, grinning. She stared at me for a long moment, then cocked her head at me.

"But if you're at the hero track at U.A., then why do you need my help?" She asked. "You're one of the greatest students in all of Japan, why do you need a tutor?"

I sighed and motioned for her to sit. She took a seat across from me as I sat down in the other chair.

"It's kind of a long story," I said. "Do we really have the time?"

"Oh don't you worry about that," Chi said. "I'm officially clearing my schedule for you. It isn't every day that a lowly tutor like me gets to work side by side with a future pro hero. Now start talking."

"Well alright then."

It took me about fifteen minutes to tell Chi the whole story, starting with the attack on the USJ and ending with me describing the details of my predicament with the Sports Festival and getting perfect grades. She was completely focused on me the entire time I was talking, staring straight into my eyes as I recounted the events of the past few days. She only spoke up at the end when she inquired about the nature and logical fallacies of U.A.'s policies. I gave her the same answers I gave my parents, which placated her.

We sat in silence for a minute after I finished talking, each of us looking into each other's' eyes. She was the first to break eye contact, bending over and reaching into her bag. After a moment of rummaging around, she pulled out a notebook, calculator, and a handful of various writing utensils. She slammed it all onto my desk, startling me. A chill ran down my spine as she looked at me. Her eyes gleamed with an energy unlike anything I was used to. Those perfect orbs of white and sapphire sparkled with the light of determination. Only one other person had eyes that shone like Chi's did at that moment, and even then I had only seen them shining like hers when he had fought Bakugou in the combat training.

"Well you only have two weeks, so let's get started," Chi declared. "Pull out your first assignment and let's get started."

"Right," I said, opening my bag and pulling out a yellow folder. "Let's tackle modern literature first, do you have any ideas on how to memorize these authors and their works?"

"Oh, that's easy," She replied, whipping open her notebook and starting to write. Her hand was a blur as she wrote, her pencil tracing out the characters almost faster than my eyes could follow it. As she wrote her hair fell across her face, and as she pushed it back behind her ear the strawberry scent of her shampoo washed over me, sending another chill down my spine and goosebumps running up and down my arms.

Suddenly, she looked up from the page.

"You should be copying this down you know," She said. I nodded and grabbed my pencil and started writing.

XXX

"Alright, that's enough for now," Chi said, pushing back her chair and cracking her knuckles. "Time for a break."

"What? No, we should keep going." I protested. "We still have a lot of work to do today." Chi raised an eyebrow and nodded meaningfully down at the paper beneath my hand.

"I think you've earned a break for some food and water," She said. I looked down at my work and was shocked to see that nearly 15 pages of writing lay beneath my hand. "It's a proven fact that the brain needs a break every once and awhile to recharge and get some refreshment," Chi continued. "Besides, we've been sitting there for nearly 3 hours and I need to get up and move around a little."

"Look, Chi," I began. "I understand what you're saying, but I really can't afford to be wasting any time. Every minute that I don't spend working is another minute that I lose of training."

Chi didn't look impressed with my protests as she crossed her arms and glared down at me.

"You done?" She asked. Without waiting for a reply, she took a breath and went on. "Listen up Mr. Hero, I'm your tutor get it? That means I'm the boss of you. Either you accept my word as law or you can find yourself a new tutor. A tutor far less charming, intelligent, and cute I might add. So, let me say this again: it IS time for a break."

I sighed and lay my pencil down on my desk and stood up. Immediately all traces of sternness vanished from Chi's face and she clapped her hands with another brilliant smile.

"Great! Now let's go meet the parents of a U.A. student and see if they have any food." She turned on her heel and strode out of my room. I followed her after a moment, chuckling softly.

I met Chi in the entrance to the kitchen, where my parents were looking at us expectantly.

"Well Kokuree, aren't you going to introduce us to your tutor? My mom asked, smiling at Chi. I nodded and took a half step forward.

"Mom, dad, this is Maiyo Chi. Chi, these are my parents: Kuse and Aimi Shiamasu."

"It's really nice to meet both of you," Chi said, bowing to them. "I can't believe that I get to tutor a U.A. student, you both must be really proud of him."

"Yes he really is the light of our lives," my mom replied, beaming at me. "Ever since he was little he wanted to be a hero, and we couldn't be more proud of him. Oh! But where are my manners, you kids must be starving after all that work, would you like something to eat? I can whip something together for you kids or go out and pick something up if you prefer."

"Well we are a little hungry if we're being honest," Chi said, looking at me then at my parents. "But the last thing I want to do is bother you…"

"It's no bother at all," My dad said. "How does some ramen sound?" I gasped and Chi turned slightly towards me, raising an eyebrow. I nodded furiously at her, gesturing for her to accept my dad's offer. His ramen was legendary and a rare treat in our household.

"...yeah ramen sounds great, thank you!" Chi said as I pumped my fist triumphantly. My dad grinned.

"Okay then, I'll have that ready for you kids in a few minutes," He said. "Why don't you take a seat and have some water while I cook."

Chi and I sat down at the counter while my dad began to get together all of the essentials for his ramen. A moment later my mom placed two full glasses in front of us and took a seat on the other side of the counter facing us.

"So Chi, if you don't mind me asking, do you go to a university near here? My mom asked. Chi laughed and waved her hand, shaking her head.

"Oh no, I'm still in High School. Actually I'm in the same grade as your son." My mom raised her eyebrows and I nearly spit up the sip of water in my mouth.

"You're as old as I am?!" I exclaimed, looking at Chi a similar expression she had on earlier when she found out I went to U.A. "But you know so much more than me!"

Chi smiled good naturedly and I kicked myself at my inadvertently rude comment.

"Yeah, my parents always said that I was super perceptive," Chi replied. "I guess that my brain is just wired for school stuff."

"Well I'm sure that you must get excellent grades to be a tutor at such a young age," my mom commented. Chi nodded and grinned.

"Best grades in my class," Chi replied without boasting.

"That's amazing, good for you dear," My mom said. "I'm so glad that someone of your caliber agreed to help Kokuree, we really appreciate your help."

"You're very welcome!" Chi said. "I'm happy to help."

We continued to make small talk for a few minutes while my dad cooked. The sounds of cooking and lively conversation filled the apartment and mixed with the mouthwatering scents of cooking meat and vegetables that flowed through the air. Before we knew it my dad set two steaming bowls of ramen in front of us. My mouth instantly began to fill with saliva as I gazed hungrily at the bowl in front of me.

"Thanks for the food!" Chi and I said in unison. But as I reached for my chopsticks Chi tapped my hand, stopping me.

"Excuse me, Mr. and Mrs. Shiamasu?" Chi said. "Would it be alright for your son and I to eat in his room? I know how anxious he is to get back to work."

"Oh, of course!" My mom answered, pushing her stool back. "Feel free to eat back there. Just make sure you bring the bowls back out here when you're done, okay Kokuree?"

"Yes mom," I answered, picking up my bowl and following Chi back to my room. Chi looked around the room again as we made our way to my desk.

"That sure is a lot of book," She commented as her eyes swept over my ladden bookshelves and piles of books that lay in every corner. "Big fan of molecular chemistry? And mechanical physics? And electrodynamics..and modern history...and engineering...and...jeez what is all this?"

I laughed as Chi began to move around the room, growing increasingly confused as she read the titles of the enormous variety of books I had read.

"Why the heck do you have all this stuff?" She asked. "You seem to have a book on every topic I can think of in here."

"Oh it's just a little bit of light reading," I answered, smirking.

"Good one," Chi said. "But come on, why?"

"Okay okay, it's actually all for my quirk," I said. She raised her eyebrows and took a seat across from me.

"Well now you have my attention," She said. "So what's your quirk, and why do you need all these books for it?"

"...okay, I'll tell you." I began. "But fair warning…"

"...fair warning what?" I grinned and leaned forward.

"Fair warning...it's really freaking cool," I said.

It didn't take me long to explain Boost to her, how it increased my speed and allowed me to unlock more and more of my brain with every increase in level. I also explained the dangers that came with it, and how a maximum boost of level 10 would be fatal to me.

"-so you see, all the books I read are implanted in my memory. Even if my normal self isn't able to recall them, that information is still stored in my brain somewhere. The more I boost, the more information I can recall. That means that the more I boost, the more data, information, and knowledge I have at my disposal. You never know what tiny scrap of information might make the difference in beating a villain or saving a life."

Chi looked at me in amazement, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

"Wow...your quirk is amazing," She said, awestruck. "No wonder you're at U.A., they'd have to be insane to deny you with a power like that. You're so lucky."

"Yeah well, it isn't as great as you might think," I said, rubbing my right shoulder where I was savaged. "I always have to be aware of how much time I have left at each level, and my quirk can be extremely dangerous if I'm not careful."

"...I suppose you're right…" Chi murmured. Then, a thought seemed to strike her. "But...if your quirk hurts you when you use it then I imagine that training with it must be next to impossible, right?"

I grunted, surprised once again by Chi.

"You're incredibly perceptive, you know that?" I said. "And you're right, the very nature of my quirk makes training with it a challenge. That's another part of my problem. Not only do I have to get perfect grades, but I also need to find time to train for the Sports Festival. All of my classmates have the advantage of being able to train with their quirks but to do so with mine would take twice the time as normal training would because I would have to take time to recover every time I boost. And there aren't any guarantees that training with Boost would yield any relevant results anyway, so that only adds to the gamble."

"Jeez…"Chi sighed. "You really have your work cut out for you here."

"Yeah," I replied. "Such is the life of a hero I guess."

"Hero in training," Chi corrected me, smiling. I smiled back.

"Fine, hero in training." We looked at each other for a moment, then Chi looked back down at the quadratic equations below us and picked up her pencil.

"Alright then _hero,_ let's get back to it," She said.

XXX

"Thank you again for all of your help, Chi," I said, opening the front door for her as she put on her shoes. "You really helped me a lot today."

"Oh please, it was my pleasure!" Chi replied, smiling first at me then at my parents. "Your son may almost be as smart as me!" Chi told my parents, earning a few laughs from them and a snort of indignation from me.

"Yeah yeah, whatever you say, blue hair," I said. "Anyway, when is a good time for you to come back? Next weekend?" Chi snorted, tossing her hair back.

"You insult me," she said. "I cleared my schedule for you, remember? I'll be back here 9 am tomorrow morning, and then every day after school until the Sports Festival. That work for you, Speedy?"

"Yeah that sounds gre- wait... Speedy?" Chi laughed and waved to my parents.

"See you tomorrow morning!" And with that, she closed the door, leaving me standing like a fool. I sighed and rubbed my eyes. As I turned around I saw my parents standing together, smirking at me.

"What?" I asked them. They looked at each other and shrugged.

"Oh, nothing," My dad said. "She's cute though, isn't she?"

"Shut up dad."

 **Hey guys! I'm really really sorry for the long wait. I'm currently in the middle of applying to college and I can confirm that it is absolutely awful and a huge time drain. Also, as of this update Boosted has officially reach 100 FOLLOWERS! Thank you all so much, I never even imagined that Boosted would get this much support so fast, so thank you all! You make my life. As far as the last chapter goes, you guys had a few concerns with the recent turn of events regarding Shiamasu having to get perfect grades. I believe that I addressed most if not all of those concerns in this chapter, but feel free to let me know if you have any further issues or concerns you'd like to discuss.**

 **Zerom1v: Okay, you got me on the day off thing. That was just a mental lapse on my part and I completely forgot that they got that day off. But I used it for character development, so I don't think it's that much of a sin. Additionally, it is never explicitly stated that they get two weeks off to train so I decided that it would suit the story better if they still had class during those two weeks. Thank you for letting me know that you had concerns, I hope I addressed them all.**

 **Victorsmyname: Sorry for the long wait, I hope this chapter is worth it. Also, in regards to the art I'll let you know when it's ready but unfortunately I have no idea when that might be.**

 **MethodicChaos: Hello there, I haven't seen you before so thank you for leaving your thoughts. Once again, I hope that I addressed all of your concerns in this update. It's my fault for not explaining the policy in more depth in the prior chapter, but I hope that it all makes more sense now. If you have any other concerns then please let me know.**

 **Thank you all again for your continued support, I hope that I can continue to deliver a solid story for you guys. As usual, if you're new then feel free to follow, favorite, etc. And for everyone who reads Boosted, feel free to leave a review or PM me with any thoughts, concerns, criticisms, or praise you may have. See you all on the flipside.**


	15. Blue Like The Sky part 2

' _Hmmm...well I'll definitely need at least two copies of Pot of Duality...maybe if a pair my Attack Gainer with my Noble Knight Artorigus then I can-'_

I was broken out of my thoughts by the obnoxiously loud ringer of my phone as a call came in. Annoyed that I had left the ringer on, I shuffled my deck and threw my deck box in my drawer. I furrowed my eyebrows as I saw that the contact on my screen was an unknown number. I was tempted to let it go to voicemail as unknown callers tended to be telemarketers, but I shrugged and lifted the phone to my ear instead, deciding to give the unknown caller a chance.

"Hello?" I said.

" _Hey there Speedy, how you doin'?"_ A familiar voice answered. I grinned.

"Hey there Chi," I said, leaning back in my chair. "You're lucky, I almost didn't answer your call since I don't have your number saved."

" _Well it's a good thing you did, I have something important to tell you."_

"Really? What is it?"

" _Don't go for your early morning run tomorrow, you're going to need to be fresh for tomorrow's training. I think I know a way that you can train with your quirk."_

"Woah really? Are you serious?" It sounded almost too good to be true. I had long dreamed of doing real training with my quirk, not just boosting to level 1 in the mornings during my run. But by the very nature of my quirk, training with it was always just a pipe dream. Until now. "What's your plan?" I asked eagerly.

" _It's hard to explain over the phone, I'll tell you tomorrow."_

"Okay then. Oh man, I can't wait! I hope your idea works since I hate not running in the morn-" I paused as I realized what Chi had just said.

"Hold on, how do you know I run in the mornings Chi?" I asked. I winced as the staticy feedback of Chi's snort buzzed through the receiver.

" _Come on, you insult me Speedy,"_ Chi huffed. " _It's balance of probability. You use a quirk that boosts your speed, so it follows that you'd run a lot. However, you can't use your quirk on a day to day basis really, so that means that you'd have to run like any other normal person. Your expensive running shoes and the running suit I saw in your closet when I pulled out your uniform, as well as your excellent physical condition, further support this fact. So I determined that you run every day or close to it, but when would you be able to? I saw the amount of homework you had today, and I inferred that you have close to the same amount every day. That means that by the time you got home and did your homework, it would be too late for you to then go running. That leaves the mornings. Of course, you could argue that you run in the afternoons on weekends, but that would be a weird cycle to establish when it's far easier to just run at the same time everyday so your body stays in sync. And that's how I know you run every morning. Pretty basic deduction really."_

My jaw hung open. I was completely speechless. Very, very few times in my life had I heard such an in-depth and accurate assessment based entirely on brief observations. It was incredible…

" _Hello? You still there?"_ Chi said. I blinked and closed my mouth with a clop.

"Wow…" I managed to say. "That was…"

" _I know, I'm amazing,"_ Chi said with a laugh. I could practically hear the playful smirk in her voice.

"You know, I _was_ going to be nice, but now I don't know if you really deserve it," I replied with a grin.

" _Whatever, I don't need your praise, my ego is big enough without it. Just remember not to run tomorrow morning."_

"Alright, I won't."

" _Okay then, I'll see you tomo-OH WAIT!"_ Chi screeched.

"Ow, what?!" I asked, wincing from the feedback.

" _Save my number, okay?"_ Chi said. " _More efficient that way."_

"Alright alright, I will."

" _Great! Nighty-night, Shiamasu!"_

"Goodnight Ch-" But for the second time my words were drowned out by a dial tone before they could complete their message. I rolled my eyes and put my phone back down on my desk.

"Is this going to be a common theme with this girl?" I muttered.

XXXXX

When Chi rang the doorbell at 9 am sharp (just like she promised) I was in a foul mood. Just like Chi said, I did run everyday. Every morning I would wake up at 6 am and go for my morning run. It woke me up, made me feel good, kept me in shape, and kept my body in sync. After years of nearly the exact same routine, my body had become hardwired to follow that same pattern. It had been programmed into every cell of my body that I had to run. And, just like when a computer is unable to do what it is programmed to do, I crashed.

It all started when I woke up at my usual time for my run, and I was halfway out the door before I remembered that Chi had specifically told me not to go. Somewhat annoyed, I tried to crawl back into bed and get a couple more hours of sleep but the act of me getting ready to run had woken me up to the point where falling back asleep was impossible.

I tossed and turned for a good hour, growing increasingly irritated with every passing minute. As I rolled around and fought to sleep, my body began to feel...wrong. No pain or anything, just a distinct feeling of something being off. Of course I knew it was because I hadn't run that day, but it was disconcerting all the same.

A little after 7 I gave up on sleep and tried to get ready for the day. I remembered thinking:

' _A hot shower will be just the thing to make me feel better.'_

Too bad for me I guess, because of course the water heater of my apartment complex decided to die that morning, so instead of enjoying a refreshing hot shower I was treated to an icy deluge.

Shivering and now thoroughly upset, I asked my mom if she was up for making a nice breakfast. Of course, seeing my state of mind and being the loving mother that she is, she was more than happy to make me a wonderful meal of scrambled eggs, fresh juice, fruit, the works.

All of which I promptly spilled on myself when I reached across the counter for a napkin and knocked the whole kitten-caboodle into my lap. The rest of the morning went pretty much the same way as a series of accidents and mishaps made my mood worse and worse.

Chi giggled when she saw my black expression, which of course only made it deteriorate further.

"Glad to see you're as chipper as ever," I spat, which only made her laugh harder.

"Woah!" She exclaimed, trying to stifle her laughter behind her hand. "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." I scoffed and rolled my eyes, stepping to the side as Chi stepped into the apartment.

"Yeah, no thanks to you," I said, glowering at Chi. "Your training regime better work, Chi. Not running this morning really threw me off." Chi grinned as she shrugged her backpack off, completely unperturbed by my aggression.

"Oh, it'll work," Chi assured me. "I planned the whole thing out last night, down to the most minute of details."

"You better have," I said. Chi pouted.

"Jeez, no need to be so mean," She whined, sticking out her lip and raising her eyebrows in a perfect puppy-dog expression. Normally, a cute girl giving me that expression would have me eating out of the palm of her hand, but not this time. Chi's expression wavered, then dropped as she realized that it was having no effect on me.

"Fine then, you win," Chi said with a shrug. "Guess the puppy eyes don't work on you."

"Not this time, blue hair," I replied. "Not this time." Chi rolled her eyes and tossed her hair back over her shoulder with a flick of her wrist.

"Yeah yeah, whatever Speedy," She said. "Anyway, let's get all of your book stuff out of the way early so we can get to your training." Chi moved in the direction of my room, but I grabbed her wrist as she went to move around me. She stiffened as if my touch electrocuted her, and I quickly withdrew my hand. She turned and gave me a look of...anger? Shock? Disgust? Or something else? Chi took a breath, and I quickly blurted out:

"Actually Chi, we cranked out all of my schoolwork yesterday, so we can get right to training if you want."

' _Why did I grab her wrist?'_ I wondered, completely baffled at my own actions.

"Oh, awesome!" Chi exclaimed, all traces of her stormy expression wiped away by her normal dazzling smile. "Well then let's go!"

"Alright, right behind you," I said, breathing a sigh of relief. I didn't know what Chi was thinking when I grabbed her wrist, but one thing was for sure: I wouldn't be doing it again anytime soon.

XXX

It couldn't have been a better day for training in the park. The morning sun glittered like a drop of liquid gold against the cloudless blue sky. Birdsong filled the air as birds of all shapes and sizes flitted in the trees overhead. Honeybees buzzed happily in the grass and flowers at our feet and the fresh scent of budding trees and blooming flowers made for a delightful symphony of smells for our noses to enjoy.

Chi lifted her face to the sky and sighed in contentment, her sapphire eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

"What a perfect day," Chi said blissfully. I nodded, feeling refreshed and cleansed by the perfect weather.

"It really is," I agreed. We stood side by side for a moment, silently enjoying the perfection the world had granted us, without a care in the world. For just a moment, I was able to forget all about U.A., the Sports Festival, Ryuketsu, everything. In that infinitely small fraction of time, I was just a normal kid enjoying being outside on a beautiful day. I smiled as the wind changed directions, bringing a fresh array of smells with it.

I stiffened as the overpowering scent of strawberries rushed up my nose. My eyes flew open as the illusion of being a normal kid shattered and I returned to reality. I looked over and saw Chi grappling with her hair, which the breeze had blown out of place which sent the aroma of her shampoo my way.

"Alright, let's get started," Chi declared, tying her hair back with a white hair tie. "Did you remember to bring your radar gun?" I slung my bag off my shoulders and started digging through it, pushing water bottles and other miscellaneous workout gear out of the way. After a moment, my hand closed around a familiar rubber grip.

"Yeah, here it is," I said, pulling the gun out of my bag. It was a simple thing, little more than a black cylinder with a rubber grip on one end. I tossed it to Chi, who caught it and held it like a handgun, peering down the center of it like she had something in her sights.

"Do you know how to use it?" I asked. Chi nodded.

"Just point and pull the trigger, right?"

"Yeah, but make sure you hold it steady when you aim at me, otherwise you might track something behind me." Chi nodded and put the gun on the ground. As she straightened up, she pulled a bright orange whistle out of her pocket. I couldn't help but laugh as she hung it around her neck.

"A whistle?" I laughed. "I thought you were supposed to be my tutor, not my coach." Chi grinned, a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

"As of this moment I'm both, Speedy," She replied. "Now warm up, we're burnin' daylight!" She raised the whistle to her lips and blew a loud, piercing note. I winced and took a few steps back.

"Is that really necessa-"

I winced again as Chi blew another, even louder and higher-pitched note.

"I said start running!" Chi yelled, stamping her foot. I shook my head with a sigh and set off, jogging in an easy circle around the grove of trees. After a few laps I jogged back to where Chi was and did a round of stretching and mobility exercises. Chi whistled when I was done.

"Jeez, I was breaking a sweat just watching you," Chi remarked, looking me up and down. "Aren't you tired after all that?" I shrugged. I had been doing the same routine for so long, I had forgotten how tiring it must look to spectators.

"I'm just used to it, I guess," I said.

"I can see that, you haven't even broken a sweat." Chi said. Then, she clapped her hands. "Alright, now that you're warmed up we can get to the fun part!"

"Finally!" I said, smiling and hopping from one foot to the other excitedly. I couldn't wait to get started. For years I had been trying to find way to train with my quirk, but all to no avail. It was disappointing that I couldn't train with my quirk like all of my friends and classmates and it was a bitter pill to swallow, but I had slowly come to terms with it over the years.

But now Chi thought that she had found a way that I could train with my quirk, and if it worked then the game would officially be changed. I could unlock new speeds, new levels, new uses for my quirk. Maybe even find a way around the recoil from Boost.

"Alright then, let's do this," Chi said. "First, boost to the first level of your quirk for me and take a few laps around the trees."

"Oh...okay? Is that it?" Maybe I had no right to be, but I was a little bit surprised. I didn't really have any expectations for what Chi's training would be, but still I couldn't help but feel a touch let down.

"Just do it," Chi said, rolling her eyes.

"Alright alright I'm doing it," I said. "Boost: level 1!" I felt a rush of power like fire flowing through my veins as my quirk activated. I heard Chi's sharp intake of breath in surprise as I turned and sprinted away, starting to circle the grove of trees at 45 miles an hour. In less than a minute I had done 5 laps around the trees and returned to my original position in front of Chi.

"Okay, now what?" I asked, jogging in place. Chi peered at the radar gun.

"Does 45 miles an hour sound right to you?" She asked. I nodded.

"Yeah, that's how fast I run at my first level," I replied. Chi nodded thoughtfully and lowered the gun.

"Okay, now for the next part," Chi said. A chill ran down my spine and I jogged slightly faster.

' _Here we go.'_ I thought. ' _Time for the big reveal of Chi's master plan.'_

"Now, deactivate your quirk." I froze, one leg still in the air. I couldn't have heard her right. She must have said something else.

"Um...what?" I asked. "What do you want me to do?"

"I _said_ ," Chi said, putting extra emphasis on said. "Deactivate your quirk." I stared at her, incredulous. She stared right back, her eyes boring into mine as if to say " _well? What are you waiting for?"_ I shook my head and took a step away.

"No way!" I said. "You know damn well what happens to me when I deactivate my quirk! This is exactly what I wanted to avoid! We haven't gotten anything done, and now you want me to waste time recovering? What, do you want to measure how long it takes me to recover, huh? Do you want to test how much pain I'll be in?"

Now I was starting to really get angry and my pulse quickened as my frustration poured out of me. I took a step forward and got in her face, glowering at my tutor. She glowered right back.

"Shiamasu listen-" She started to say, but I chopped the air with my hand, silencing her.

"You know Chi, I really thought you had a plan," I spat. "You call me all excited last night about this _brilliant training idea_ of yours, and then you give me this? I guess you aren't as smart as you think you a-"

The air rang with a meaty crack as Chi slapped me mid-sentence. I raised my hand to my stinging cheek, wincing as I felt the tender patch where her palm made contact with the flesh of my cheek. I turned my head back to Chi, the blood boiling in my ears with rage. I poured all of my hate into my eyes as I turned back towards Chi...then froze.

Tears glistened in Chi's sapphire eyes as she looked at me with a mixture of hate and sadness. She clutched the hand she had used to slap me as if it pained and disgusted her. Her lower lip wobbled dangerously as she did everything she could to hold in her sobs. And just like that, the inferno of rage within me went out.

"...Chi?" I said softly, putting my hand delicately on her shoulder. She choked in anger and slapped my hand away, then glowered at me.

"Don't," She said, her voice cracking with emotion. "Don't you _ever, EVER!"_ She roared, practically screaming in fury. "You will never, _ever,_ question my intelligence, do you hear me?!"

I took a step back, overwhelmed by Chi's sudden ferocity. I felt a cold prickle of sweat run down my back as I looked into Chi's eyes. Her eyes, normally so beautiful and full of laughter, almost seemed to glow with the force of her rage. But at the same time, another emotion seemed to be present there. Hidden beneath the flames of her anger was a deep, deep pain. I didn't know what it was, but what I had done had unearthed something in Chi, something she had obviously been trying very hard to forget.

"Chi, are you-?" She put both her hands on my chest and pushed me, forcing me back a step.

"Shut up!" She spat. "I will talk and you will listen, and you will not say a fucking word. Do you understand me?" I nodded.

"First, you will never question me again, do you hear me?" She growled. "I told you last night but you obviously didn't listen, so I'll say it again. I am the boss of you. You will do whatever I say, when I say it, no questions asked. Second, you don't know _anything_ about me or what I've gone through, so you don't have the right to question me or my intelligence. You hear me? You can't! You fucking can't! You don't get to call me stupid!"

Chi began punching me now, both her fists hammering my chest.

"You can't!" She yelled, her voice cracking as tears began to roll down her cheeks. "You can't call me stupid! I'm not stupid! I'm not! I'm the smartest girl you'll ever fucking meet! I'm not stupid! I'm not-" Chi's voiced cracked again and she broke down into sobs, her punches gradually getting weaker and weaker.

I gulped and looked around, desperately hoping that no one was watching us and yet at the same time wishing that someone would come along and save me from the crying girl inches away. I looked back at Chi, who had buried her face in her hands as sobs racked her body. I was at a complete loss. Never in my life had I been in a situation like this, and while I knew what books, tv shows, and movies told me I should do, I didn't know if I could.

I clenched my jaw and gulped again. Then, slowly, I took a step closer to Chi. I waited for Chi to shove or punch me, but she didn't react. I wiped my brow, which had suddenly become covered in sweat, and reached out. Slowly, oh so slowly, I put my hands on Chi's shoulders. Then, I gently pulled her close to me, wrapping my arms around her.

I stiffened as she began to cry even harder, and wondered if I should let go. Before I could, she wrapped her arms around me and buried her face into my chest, sobbing into my sweatshirt. I looked around again, unsure of what I should do next. I hesitantly lifted my hand to stroke her hair...but then let it fall.

We stayed like that for only a few minutes, but it felt like hours as I fervently prayed that no one would walk by and see us like this. The last thing Chi or I needed was for some random person to come by and scold us or try to figure out what was going on. Chi gradually calmed down until her sobs were few and far between, then they stopped entirely. I kept holding her, even after her sobs had stopped. Suddenly, Chi cleared her throat meaningfully and I stepped back. Chi sniffed and wiped her eyes, smiling bashfully at me.

"...I-uh-...I'm sorry for that…" Chi mumbled, staring at the ground. "I didn't mean to break down on you like that."

"No no, it's totally fine," I said. "I'm the one who started all this, it's my fault. I'm the one who's sorry. Are you okay now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine now," Chi replied, sniffling a little. We looked at each other for a moment, neither of us knowing what to do or say next.

"Um…Chi?" I began, kneading my hands. "I...I never called you stupid…"

"Oh…"Chi mumbled, staring intently at the ground.

"What was that all about? Is there something you want to talk about?"

"..."

"Chi?"

"No...it was nothing. I guess I just thought that you called me stupid, my mistake."

"Oh...okay," I replied. I wasn't at all convinced that Chi was telling the truth, but I dropped it all the same. The last thing I wanted was to make Chi cry again by delving into her past. Chi sniffed loudly and wiped her eyes again.

"Right, that's enough crying for one day I think," Chi said. "Let's get back to training now."

"Sure," I said, albeit a little hesitantly. "But are you sure you're up for it? We can stop if you want."

"No, I'm fine," Chi replied, looking at me determinedly. "Now deactivate your quirk, please."

"Okay," I said, all too happy to oblige. I released the hold on my power and immediately felt the backlash of my quirk. I began panting and gasping for air as if I had just sprinted half a mile and sank to one knee. Coherent thinking became difficult as a fog settled on my brain. I was faintly aware of Chi digging around in her bag as I gasped and struggled for breath.

I looked up as a green bottle was suddenly thrust into my face.

"Drink it," Chi ordered. I pawed for the bottle and, unscrewing the cap, lifted the bottle to my lips and began to drink.

Immediately I began to choke and gag as the revolting liquid poured down my throat. I wretched and dropped the bottle, which Chi hurriedly scooped up before any of it it spilled out.

"What is that stuff?" I asked, coughing. "It tastes like orange flavored battery acid. And why is it so thick and foamy?" Chi scowled and thrust the bottle back to me.

"Shut up and drink it, Speedy," She order. "Just a few more sips." I opened my mouth to protest, then an image of Chi's crying face flashed across my mind. Sighing, I took the bottle back from her and took a few more sips. I struggled to not gag as I forced the liquid down my throat. Chi watched me like a hawk the whole time, making sure that I swallowed whatever I had in my mouth. After a few sips, she nodded and took the bottle back from me.

"Ugh that was gross," I remarked as I wiped my mouth. "What was that stuff?" Chi silently screwed the top back onto the bottle, then sighed and looked at me.

"That was my spit," She said. I didn't react for a moment as my brain struggled to catch up with my ears. As her words sank in my eyes lowered to the bottle in her hands. I was suddenly painfully aware of what was sitting in my stomach and it made my skin crawl. I gagged and fell to my knees.

"YOUR SPIT?!" I howled. "WHY?!" Chi crossed her arms, not impressed with my dramatic act.

"Let me answer your question with a question of my own," Chi began. "How do you feel?"

"How do I feel?!" I parroted, incredulous. "I _feel_ like I'm going to throw up! I _feel_ like you're a psycho for making me drink your spit! And I _feel..._ better?" I couldn't believe it, but I suddenly felt totally fine. The backlash from my quirk had been nullified somehow, but it hadn't been long enough for it to have faded away on its own. I stared up at Chi, who was smirking at me.

"...how…?"

"It's my quirk," Chi said, sticking out her tongue. "My saliva has healing properties. If you drink it then it exponentially accelerates the healing process."

"Holy...that's incredible!" I said, springing to my feet. I grinned like an idiot and snatched the bottle out of Chi's hands, cradling it in my arms like a baby. "Your quirk is amazing, Chi!"

Chi rolled her eyes and shrugged, but I could see a tint of red in her cheeks as she blushed.

"You ready for another round?" Chi asked.

"Oh, Hell yeah I am!" I exclaimed. "Boost: level 1!"

"Hey, try to run faster now!" Chi yelled after me as I took off, a massive dopey grin on my face.

XXX

Chi shook the water bottle, then unscrewed the lid and peered inside.

"Yep, it's empty." She said, closing the bottle and putting it back in her bag. "Looks like we're done for the day."

"Aw man…" I sighed. "I wanted to keep going." Chi chuckled and slung her bag over her shoulder.

"Sorry Speedy," She said. "I'll try to bring more spit tomorrow."

"Really?" I exclaimed. "Oh man that would be awesome!" At that Chi giggled, then burst out laughing.

"Jeez Shiamasu," She said between peals of laughter. "You must be the only person in the world who's happy about getting a water bottle full of spit. Sicko."

"Yeah yeah, whatever blue hair," I replied, taking off my running shoes and swapping them with my walking shoes.

"Go on, admit it," She taunted as I straightened up and slung my bag over my shoulder.

"Admit what?" I asked. She flashed an evil grin at me and thrust her face close to mine.

"Admit you loved the way it tasted," She said. I gagged and stepped around her and she cackled.

"And you call me a sicko…" I muttered as she fell into step next to me. We walked out of the park and made our way down the street, side by side, our steps in sync. Chi took a deep breath and sighed, looking around.

"Something smells good," She commented. I sniffed the air and smiled.

"You're right, something does smell good," I agreed, looking around with her. As my eyes crossed the street I saw a group of people making their way into a restaurant down the block. I tapped Chi and pointed.

"It's probably that restaurant down there," I said. Chi followed my finger and grinned when she saw the place.

"Oh that's perfect, let's go!" She said, setting off at a brisk pace towards the restaurant. "You're buying, Speedy! Think of it as an advance on my pay!" I opened my mouth to protest, but then closed it and shook my head with a smile.

How could I say no? I was in far too good a mood to deny Chi's request. The training had worked like a charm. By the time I had finished the water bottle, I had hit 47 miles an hour on the radar gun. That may not have been a huge increase in speed, but the implications were staggering.

My quirk's enhanced speed wasn't fixed, like I had always believed it was. It could be improved. I could get faster at each base level. And maybe, I could increase my level 1 speed until it reached my level 2 speed...or my level 3 speed…

Yeah, I was getting ahead of myself, but I didn't care. After all, it was too beautiful a day to worry about small things like that. And going back to the whole restaurant thing, I was really hungry too.

So, I followed my beautiful tutor/coach with hair that was blue like the sky down the street, as content as anyone could ever hope to be.

 **Hey guys! Guess what, I'm back with an update that's on schedule for once! Crazy right? Anyway, thanks to everyone who left a review on the last update and a huge thank you to the people who are just now reading and following Boosted.**

 **Guest: Hello there! I wish I could address you by penname, but oh well. And oh yeah, Kokuree's parents would never pass up the chance to roast their son.**

 **Victorsmyname: I'm glad you like Chi, I definitely think that she was the right call. I love her character and I really enjoy writing her. Also, congrats on being a college student! Hopefully I get in too.**

 **Zerom1v: Yeah, I always make a point of addressing any and all concerns that you guy bring up so don't be afraid to let me know what you think in the future. As far as Chi's future in the story, I'm not giving anything away. No spoilers from me!**

 **Thank all of you who read this chapter, and thank all of you who follow Boosted. You guys are all amazing! If you're new to this story, then please follow and favorite this story so I can catch up to the rest of the OC stories in this fandom. And for everyone, please leave a review! Let me know what you guys think, whether it be questions, criticisms, suggestions, or praise. Also, my inbox is always open if you want to PM me. See you all on the flipside.**


	16. The Eve of the Sports Festival

' _This is it...I'm going to die.'_ I moaned inwardly. Freezing sweat trickled down my sides and back as I stood before Mr. Aizawa, awaiting judgement. The past two weeks had been, in a word, nightmarish. A combination of exhausting training and near constant school work had left me tired, sore, and quite nearly broken. Never in my life had I been asked to do so much in such a short period of time. Two weeks is the equivalent to 14 days, which is 336 hours, which is 20,160 minutes, which is 1,209,600 seconds. That may sound like a lot of time, and maybe it is, but it is certainly not enough to be able to train for the biggest sporting event of my life on top of getting perfect grades. I had operated on a maximum of 4 hours of sleep a night, which had left me exhausted and irritable. Additionally, the only full meal I ever had time for was lunch at U.A., so my diet consisted almost entirely of protein bars, coffee, energy drinks, and Chi's spit *shudders*. Not exactly a balanced diet.

For the past two weeks I had undergone training unlike any other training I had done in my life, courtesy of my tutor/coach: Maiyo Chi. Despite Chi's quirk (healing spit) which was able to nullify the recoil of Boost, the training itself was still arduous enough that my legs felt rubbery and weak every night. And as much as I wanted to sleep and recharge my batteries after every training session, my relentless blue-haired babysitter wouldn't allow me a moment's peace until I had completed all of my schoolwork to perfection.

I stood with my hands clasped tightly behind my back, my stomach tying itself into knots as Mr. Aizawa nonchalantly took his time examining the stack of papers that was the work I had done the past two weeks. I stared intently at the red pen he held loosely in his hand, all of my attention focused on the piece of plastic and ink that would decide my fate. I nearly fainted every time it twitched down towards my assignments, but never once did it land.

I had been standing there for nearly 10 minutes, and with every passing second my nerves frayed further and further. Now, long since my classmates had gone to lunch, Mr. Aizawa was finally reaching the bottom of the stack of assignments. My heart skipped a beat as he nodded and put aside the sheet he was examining and picked up the final assignment.

I allowed myself a glimmer of hope as he began reading whatever was on the other side of the page in his hands.

' _...Did I really do it? Is this a dream?'_ I felt the corners of my mouth twitch up as he nodded at something I had said or written and kept reading, his red pen completely stationary. I rubbed my hands on the back of my pants and rubbed my mouth as he neared the end of the page. Suddenly, his eyes flicked upwards and he met my gaze. His glassy red eyes bored into mine, and even though I couldn't read whatever he was thinking from his eyes alone, I suddenly felt that I knew what his look meant. I felt my knees begin to wobble uncontrollably as his pen twitched, then descended onto the page and began to move. I felt the pinpricks of tears in my eyes as Mr. Aizawa scribbled away, completely oblivious to the fact that my world was collapsing around me.

' _No...don't give him the satisfaction of seeing you cry.'_ I thought, clenching my fists and fighting with everything I had to hold back the tears. My heart sank further as my thoughts began to drift to how my parents and Chi would react. I knew that my parents would both be furious but I my immediate concern was for Chi. I knew that she would blame herself for my failure, and that nothing I could say would convince her otherwise. It was a heartbreaking realization.

I truly hated my teacher in that moment. He could do whatever he wanted to me: fail me, expel me, bar me from being a hero, whatever his cold and withered heart desired. But I couldn't handle the fact that he was so nonchalant about bringing down my friends and family with me.

"Well Shiamasu…" Mr. Aizawa suddenly said, the first words he had spoken to me in the past 10 minutes. "...You have exceeded my expectations."

I clearly heard Mr. Aizawa, but my brain just couldn't understand what he was saying. I opened and closed my mouth like a fish out of water, trying and failing to ask him to repeat what he just said. Mr. Aizawa sighed and held the page he had been writing on out to me. I took it with shaky hands and turned it around.

I let out a shaky exhale that was somewhere between a sigh of relief and a sob as I beheld Mr. Aizawa's drawing of All Might giving a thumbs up on the header of the page. I felt like the world was being lifted off my shoulders and I nearly sank to my knees as I realized that I had done it. I had actually done it.

"I'm going to be honest with you, Shiamasu," Mr. Aizawa said as I continued to gaze in awe at the page. "I never thought that you were going to pull this off. You did something that very few people would have been willing even attempt, let alone accomplish. You've proven your dedication to the school, and to being a hero." I heard a faint rustle of fabric and wrenched my eyes up from the page.

Mr. Aizawa stood a few feet away, his hand outstretched. I followed his arm back to his torso and up to his face, where I saw an expression I had only seen one other time. It looked out of place on his scruffy and naturally somber face, but there was no mistaking it. I blinked hard, thinking that I was imaging it, but when his expression didn't change I knew that I wasn't imagining it.

Mr. Aizawa, my cold-hearted homeroom teacher, the man famous for expelling an entire class of would-be heroes, the brooding hero Eraserhead, was _smiling at me._

"Congratulations kid," He said with a grin. I sniffed and climbed to my feet, returning Mr. Aizawa's grin with a shaky smile of my own. I clasped Mr. Aizawa's hand in my own. He grunted in shock as I suddenly yanked him forward and wrapped my arms around him in a bone crushing hug.

"I'm going to compete?" I asked, my voice muffled by his musty black clothes.

"Yes, you're allowed to compete now," Mr. Aizawa grunted, squirming uncomfortably. I let out another shaky sigh of relief and let go of my teacher, who practically leapt away. Mr. Aizawa brushed himself off, his face back to its normal stony expression.

"Thank you, Mr. Aizawa," I said, bowing deeply. "Thank you so much for allowing me to participate in the Sports Festival." He grunted and waved me off, gathering his yellow sleeping bag from behind his desk.

"Don't mention it, you did all the heavy lifting anyway," He replied, stepping into the yellow cocoon. "Now go get lunch and maybe wash up. You look like death." I nodded vigorously and grabbed my backpack from my desk.

"Thanks again Mr. Aizawa!" I called over my shoulder as I slung my bag over my shoulder and hustled out of the room.

XX

Mr. Aizawa sighed as the classroom door slid shut, his student's footsteps echoing away.

"Hasn't that kid ever heard of personal space?" He muttered, crawling under his desk and curling up onto the sleeping mat he kept stashed there. Still, he couldn't help but feel a warm surge of pride for Shiamasu.

It was no secret that Aizawa took his role as a teacher very seriously, and that he didn't take kindly to failure or lack of potential. But what people, his students in particular, failed to understand was that he wouldn't care so much if he didn't love teaching. Mr. Aizawa was hard on his students, but that was just so that they could be the best they could be and make good livings as heroes. Nothing enraged him more than kids not taking the program seriously, and nothing made him happier than seeing his students succeed. It pained him to act so aloof and cold to his students, but he had to maintain appearances. He was at U.A. to make sure that his students became the best heroes they could possibly be, and being friends with his students wouldn't help them reach their potential. Still, that didn't mean that he didn't feel compassion for his students, especially when they were treated unfairly by the very system he had sworn to uphold.

Aizawa had long been advocating for the wholesale revision of U.A.'s system of doing things, and Shiamasu's situation had only proven his point further. Right from the start Aizawa had been against what Shiamasu had to do, both for the sake of his student's sanity and his future. It was obvious that Shiamasu had an outstanding amount of potential, and that making him have to fight for a spot in the Sports Festival was ridiculous. But Aizawa's hands were tied, as Principal Nedzu was the one who had the final say on the matter and Aizawa learned long ago that arguing with the devious little furball would lead to nothing but a splitting headache. The best thing Aizawa could hope for was that Shiamasu would do well enough in the festival to prove to Nedzu that he had been wrong in making Shiamasu go through all that.

Mr. Aizawa closed his eyes and allowed himself a small grin of satisfaction.

' _He may even win the whole thing.'_

XX

"Alright!" Kirishima cheered, pumping his fist in the air. "Now class 1-A is officially ready for the festival!" I chuckled and took a seat across from the fiery red-head, putting my tray of food down next to Tokoyami's.

"Congrats on beating Aizawa's stupid challenge, Shiamasu," Kaminari said, clapping me on the shoulder.

"Yes, very well done indeed," Tokoyami agreed with a nod.

"Thanks guys!" I said with a grin. "But I don't know if I'm even going to be able to compete tomorrow, I'm beyond exhausted." I yawned and rubbed my eyes as I finished my sentence, debating taking a quick nap before our next class.

"What?!" Kirishima exclaimed, brandishing his fork at me. "A real man never shows weakness! You just need some protein, that's all. Hold him down, boys." I grunted in surprise as Tokoyami and Kaminari grabbed both my arms, holding me in place.

"Hey hey hey, what are you doing?" I exclaimed, struggling to get free. Kirishima speared a piece of meat on his plate and leaned over the table, holding it close to my face. My eyes began to water and I gagged as the smell of the meat hit my nose, scorching it.

"Jesus Kirishima!" I gagged, breathing through my mouth to spare my nose. "What the heck is that stuff?!"

"What?" Kirishima said. "It's just some beef with teriyaki sauce, horseradish, and peanut butter sauce. Very, very high in protein." My eyes bugged and I choked again, and even Kaminari and Tokoyami looked disgusted.

"Why would you ever eat that?" I asked.

"This is Crimson Riot's favorite dinner!" Kirishima replied, somewhat hurt by my reaction to his hero's meal of choice. "Now open up and eat it!" I began to struggle mightily as Kirishima thrust the meat towards my mouth, trying my hardest to break free from my captors. I shook my shoulders and arms violently, twisting away whenever Kirishima brought the meat laden fork towards my face. Finally, Kirishima threw up his hands and grunted in exasperation.

"I didn't want to do this, but you've left me no choice Shiamasu!" Kirishima exclaimed, narrowing his eyes at me. He suddenly locked eyes with Tokoyami and gave a small nod. I swung my head to my left, my eyes widening as Dark Shadow manifested behind us. I looked into Tokoyami's eyes and shook my head vigorously, my eyes wide and pleading. Tokoyami looked away, unwilling to meet my gaze.

"Forgive me, my friend," He said, his baritone full of remorse. "But if Kirishima believes that this will return your strength to you, then I must go along with it... for your sake. Dark Shadow...do it."

I grunted and moaned as loud as I could, careful to keep my mouth closed as Dark Shadow floated in front of me. He took my face in his clawed hands and grasped my chin.

" _Open wide, human,"_ Dark Shadow purred. Then, he began to force my mouth open. I fought with everything I had, but my jaw muscles were no match for Dark Shadow's monstrous strength.

"Waitwaitwaitwait Kirishima c'mon don't do this please guys let me go this isn't funny ohmygod get it away please NO-" My scream became a strangled choke as Kirishima finally thrust the fork into my mouth. I instantly began to cough and gag, tears streaming down my face as the full force of the meat hit my nostrils and sinuses like freight train. I moaned and gagged as Dark Shadow forced my jaws up and down, chewing and compacting the meat and forcing it down my throat.

Other students began to take note of our ridiculous situation as I began to retch, thoroughly disgusted by what I had just been forced to eat.

"What?" Kaminari asked our staring peers, challenging them to say something. "We're just doing a project for our hero classes, no need to worry." I took a breath to beg for help, but Dark Shadow held my mouth closed and my head down so all I could do was make a pitiful whining sound. We got a few more weird looks, but everyone returned to their respective meals after a few moments. I nearly fainted as Kirishima speared another cube of meat from his plate and flashed me a grin full of pointy teeth.

"There's a lot more where that came from, my friend," Kirishima said as he began to lower the fork towards my mouth again.

XXXXX

I still had the taste of Kirishima's putrid meal in my mouth as I walked up the stairs to my apartment, despite the massive fruity energy drink I had on the train ride home. I was just about ready to kill Kirishima by the time he had force-fed me his entire plate, but I had to hand it to him...it did give me a lot of energy. Besides, murder was generally frowned upon in our society so I had to stay my hand.

' _I'll just kick his butt at the festival tomorrow.'_ I vowed, clenching my fist as I grabbed the door handle of my apartment and stepped inside.

"Mom, dad, I'm home," I called out, closing the door behind me. I didn't really expect an answer, as both of my parents worked during the day and wouldn't be home until later, but I still always called out when I walked in. That's why I jumped a little when my mom called out from their room.

"Hello Kokuree! We're back here!"

"Mom?" I said, taking my shoes off. "What are you guys doing home so early?" When a response didn't come immediately, I shrugged of my bag and crept down the hall towards my parents room. As I got closer I heard both of my parents giggling, as well as a muffled third voice. Puzzled, grasped the doorknob and pulled the door open.

I cried out as a mass of blue and white leapt out from my parents' room and tackled me, sending me to the floor.

"What the fu-!" I exclaimed, my face buried into the rug of the hallway

"Hey there Speedy!" A familiar female voice greeted me. That's when I noticed the curtain of blue hair that surrounded my head and the distinct smell of strawberry shampoo. I sighed mightily.

"Get off me, Chi," I grumbled. Chi laughed, a melodious and cheerful sound, and rolled off me. She was dressed in her normal color pallet of blue and white, but this time she wore a blue sweater and white pants with a pair of white flats. Her hair was, as it always was, loose and down around her head. Her sapphire eyes gleamed with mischief and laughter.

"Were you surprised?" Chi asked, helping me to my feet with a mischievous smile. I brushed myself off and rolled my eyes.

"That's one word for it," I replied, making Chi smile even harder. My parents came out of their room, giggling and wiping tears from their eyes. Chi turned and beamed at them.

"Did you guys see it?" She asked them, almost like an overeager toddler.

"Oh my gosh that was classic!" My dad answered. Then he turned to me and smiled. "We really got you, didn't we?"

"You guys were in on this?" I asked, incredulous. They giggled and nodded. I threw up my hands in defeat. "Is anyone on my side today?"

"Oh, cheer up Speedy," Chi said, throwing an arm over my shoulder. "Can't you stop being your normal robotic self for a few minutes and celebrate your admission into the Sports Festival?" My mom gasped and my dad smiled so wide it looked like it hurt.

"You did it Kokuree?!" My mom exclaimed, overjoyed. "Oh I'm so glad! When did he tell you, Chi?"

"Um... I didn't," I said, raising an eyebrow at Chi. "How did you know, Chi?" Chi rolled her eyes.

"Come on, we've been together everyday for the past two weeks," Chi said. "I can read you like a book now. As soon as you walked in the door I could tell that you did it."

"Of course, how could I forget that I've been training with Sherlock Holmes for the past two weeks," I said, smirking.

"Well regardless, a celebration is in order!" My dad said, clapping his hands. "Let's go Kokuree, we're taking you and Chi out to dinner. You two deserve it after all of your hard work."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Chi said, playing the part of a polite guest extraordinarily well.

"Nonsense dear, it's already been decided," My mom said. "Just think of it as an advance on your pay." Chi hummed and rubbed her chin, pretending to think.

"Well...I suppose one meal wouldn't hurt," Chi relented.

"Great!" My dad said. "Kokuree, your mom and I will go bring the car around. You two meet us down there, okay?"

"Okay, you got it Dad," I replied. My parents smiled at us and walked out of the apartment, leaving Chi and I to ourselves. Chi sighed and turned to me.

"Well I must say, I'm starving. How about you Speed-" Chi's words became a small squeak of surprise as I suddenly stepped forward and wrapped my arms around her. Chi stiffened but didn't push me off. I held her for all of a few seconds, then stepped away.

"Chi, I just want to thank you for everything," I said. Chi held her head down just enough so that her blue hair made a curtain around her face, hiding it. I swallowed and pressed on. "If it wasn't for you, I'd never have been able to pull this off. You encouraged me, trained me, taught me, and I don't know what I'd do without you. Every time I fell down, or got a problem wrong, or felt like giving up you were there to help me. I owe tomorrow to you, and no matter what happens I'm going to do my best." I waited expectantly for Chi to say something, but she gave no sign of doing so. I cocked my head slightly, unsure of where Chi's normally witty and chipper voice had gone.

"...Chi?" I said softly, prompting her for a response. Chi raised her head slowly, and as her hair fell away from her face I stiffened. Tears welled up in Chi's eyes and I swore in my head, convinced that I had said something to upset her. But, as the tears began to fall, Chi smiled.

I nearly fell to my knees in awe. The sheer beauty and emotion in Chi's smile had enough force to take my breath away. Over the past two weeks I'd seen Chi laugh and smile dozens of times, to the point where I could draw it from memory alone if I had to. But the smile Chi gave me now was different from all of them. It was more breathtaking than the aurora borealis at night, or a meteor shower, or an ice shelf calving. It was more powerful than an earthquake or a hurricane. It was happier than a mother holding a newborn baby, but at the same time sadder than a thousand funerals.

"Jeez, Shiamasu," Chi murmured. "This is your second time making me cry. Cut me a break, would ya?" I was at a total loss for words. Thousands of words and sentences whirled in my head, all fighting and begging to be said. But none of them could find their way out.

In that moment I realized something. I didn't know how and I didn't know when, but someone had hurt Chi. Someone had scarred the beautiful girl in front of me, and the thought of anyone hurting Chi filled me with a rage unlike any I had ever known. Normally my anger burned and raged like a wildfire: red hot and out of control. But the anger I felt at that moment was different. It was calmer, controlled...but it burned white hot. The heat of it was so intense that I thought that it would burn a hole in my chest, and I clenched my fists to keep them from shaking.

Right then and there I made a silent vow to the girl in front of me. I would find out what happened to her and who had hurt her.

And I would make them pay.

"Shiamasu?" Chi's voice snapped me out of my thoughts and the rage in my chest immediately went out like a lighter being clicked off. I looked up and met Chi's gaze.

"...thank you," She said, smiling at me. I returned her small smile with a smile of my own.

"Come on," I said, beckoning towards the door. "My parents are probably waiting. We better go before they come up here and accuse us of making out while they're gone." Chi laughed and wrinkled her nose, giving me a playful shove.

"Ha, as if," She giggled. "I'd sooner kiss a dog. Your breath smells like my spit." I groaned and held my stomach.

"Don't remind me," I moaned, eliciting another laugh as we walked out and closed the door behind us.

XXXXX

"Is it finished?" Phobia hissed, a hungry glint in his eyes as he stared at the black case in front of him. Satow Juro nodded and thrust the case towards the villain with shaking hands.

Satow Juro was a shell of what he once was. After working for two weeks straight with little sleep, food, or water and under constant threat of death he was ready to collapse. The past two weeks had aged him 20 years and had caused nearly all of his hair to turn white or fall out. His face sagged lifelessly and his shands shook uncontrollably. HIs clothes hung off his gaunt, frail body. Juro knew that after this job he would probably never work again and that his best friend would become a sturdy length of rope in the coming weeks.

"Y-y-y-ye-yes," Juro stammered, another side effect of his prolonged exposure to the villain and his pet. Phobia grabbed the case like a greedy toddler and undid the clasps. The villain opened it and let out a small gasp of glee as he beheld the gear that Jurp had made for him. Phobia stroked the sleek black metal lovingly, then raised his eyes to Juro, grinning like a madman.

"You've really outdone yourself, my friend!" Phobia exclaimed. "I think that this is your best work yet! You must be so proud!"

' _Proud? Ha! Those machines will haunt me for the rest of my life you psychopath.'_ Juro thought.

"Ye-ye-ye-yes," Juro replied. "Ve-ve-very p-p-p-p-proud." Phobia set the case on Juro's work desk and stuck his hand out, still smiling.

"Come on, put 'er there," The villain said. "I think you've earned a handshake from the next great villain of my generation." Juro knew to disobey would mean a slow and painful death, so he reached out and clasped Phobia's hand with his own.

Juro shuddered at the feel of Phobia's pale hand. It was clammy and cold, but it gripped his hand like a vice. Juro tried to pull away, but Phobia gripped his hand for a long while before letting go. Juro resisted the urge to wipe his hand on his pants and stepped back behind the imaginary safety of his desk. Phobia laughed, a harsh sound, and grabbed the case.

"Well, my friend," The villain said, crestfallen. "It looks like this is the end of our partnership."

Juro's breath caught in his throat and his heart skipped a beat. This was the moment. Phobia would either keep his end of the bargain and let Juro live, or he would cut him down where he stood. If Juro was being honest with himself, he didn't know which was worse. Of course his instincts were screaming at him that he wanted to live, but what life could Juro possibly hope to live anymore? Juro would never work again thanks to his uncontrollable trembling, his stutter, and his overall physical stature. He would forever be haunted by nightmares and the knowledge that he helped a villain kill at least one innocent child. Juro didn't know which fate would be worse, but he did know that he was afraid. Horribly, horribly afraid.

"You've been a good friend and worker this past two weeks, Juro," Phobia said. "You've followed my orders to the letter, and your work is exquisite. For that, I'm going to let you live." Juro nearly collapsed with relief and he grabbed the edge of his desk to keep from falling.

"Th-th-th-tha-tha-thank y-y-y-"

"No thanks necessary, my friend," Phobia said, chuckling. "Now, on to a more serious matter. After I leave you are to go straight home and stay there for three days. When you get home you are to destroy every source of contact with the outside world you possess. TVs, computers, phones, anything and everything. After three days you can return to your normal life. If you deviate from my instructions in any way you will be torn apart and devoured by my pet, who will be keeping an eye on you for the next three days. You got all that?"

Juro nodded violently, moaning a little at the thought of having to spend another 72 hours in the company of Phobia's terrifying pet. Phobia grinned.

"Well then...see you later, Satow Juro," And with that, Phobia turned on his heel and strode out of the room. Juro didn't move as he heard Phobia move down the hall. He remained perfectly still as the elevator doors slid open...then close.

Juro let out a moan and fell to his knees, tears of relief and sorrow streaming down his face. He cupped his face in his hands and wept for himself, and for the poor boy he had just helped murder.

XXX

Phobia stood in the shadows of the alleyway, staring up at the Tokyo Electronics Incorporated building outlined in the night sky with a sneer. He couldn't be happier to be away from that pitiful, sniveling excuse of a man. Phobia's red eyes gleamed with hate as he gazed up at the approximate location of Juro's office. Phobia ran his tongue over his jagged teeth and whistled softly.

Phobia didn't turn or move as the alley filled with skitters and hisses. The monstrous spider made its way to Phobia's side and paused, chittering at its master. Phobia lowered his hand and stroked the hairless flesh of the spider's head, careful to avoid the creatures sensitive eyes.

"I bet you're hungry, aren't you?" Phobia asked. The spider hissed, its mandibles opening and closing as slobber poured out of its mouth. Phobia grinned and nodded up at Juro's office.

"Tear him apart," Phobia said. The spider chittered and took off towards the skyscraper, its eight legs a blur as it skittered towards its prey. Normally, Phobia would have followed his pet and watched it feed, but not this time. Phobia watched his pet go for another moment, then turned and strode deeper into the shadows.

There was work to be done.

 **Hey guys! I'm back with another update, I hope it was worth the wait. Now, the reviews:**

 **LunairiaBlaze** **: I'm glad you liked the chapter! And don't worry, Chi's backstory will eventually be revealed so be patient. All will be revealed in time.**

 **Victorsmyname: Yeah I thought Chi's quirk would elicit that reaction. It certainly is gross. And in regards to the cursing, don't worry I won't be making a habit of it. I only ever write curses in as emphasis on extreme anger, but I'll try to cut back even more.**

 **Zerom1v: Yep it's pretty gross alright XD. Also thank you, I could use some good luck!**

 **ARSLOTHES: Welcome! I hope this update was worth your wait.**

 **As always, thank all of you who took the time to read this story! You guys are all amazing and you're all my inspiration for writing. You guys rock! Anyway, feel free to leave a review or PM me if you have any thoughts, ideas, criticisms, or praise for me. You all know by now that I get back to each and every one of you, so don't be afraid to speak your mind. For those of you reading this story for the first time, hello! If you like the story, please follow and favorite Boosted to show your support. I wish you all a wonderful Sunday. See you all on the flipside.**


	17. Sports Festival pt 1

I sighed heavily and rolled over for what felt like the millionth time that night, annoyed that sleep was eluding me. I groaned softly as I read the time on my clock, which read five minutes to midnight.

' _Of course I can't sleep on the one night that I need as much rest as I can get.'_ I grumbled inwardly, flipping my pillow to the cool side. I should have been sleeping like a dead man after the constant training and studying that had filled the past two weeks, but of course I was too wired for sleep to come.

My brain hummed busily as dozens of thoughts whirled around like leaves in a hurricane, all of them dedicated to the next day. I didn't know if I was excited or nervous, worried or carefree, pumped or calm. I could practically hear the roar of the crowd, Present Mic's voice blaring, the orchestral fanfare of victory…

I knew that I needed to settle down and get some sleep, but I just couldn't keep myself from thinking about the Sports Festival. The past two weeks had been so filled with studying that I now realized that besides some extremely mild combat training with Chi, I had done next to no planning or strategizing for the Festival at all.

I was paying for it now as two weeks worth of scenarios, mock fights, hypothetical situations, and eventualities of every sort filled my brain. Todoroki's fire and ice, Bakugou's explosions, Midoriya's raw power, Tokoyami's Dark Shadow, and every other amazing power that my classmates possessed all posed serious threats in their own ways and I was having a heck of a time trying to find ways to counter them. And It wasn't just that I had to think of my classmates quirks and how to beat them in, but I also had to worry about the kids in all of the other classes as well.

But it wasn't just thinking of ways to beat them; I also had to find ways to work with them. I had watched the U.A. Sports Festivals since I was a kid, so I knew that every year there tended to be at least one event in which students had to work together in outlandish and creative ways to complete an objective. I already had a few ideas in mind for who I could possibly work with, but I couldn't afford to get hung up on one, two, three, or even more of my classmates to work with. I had no way of knowing if I'd be able to work with who I wanted to, so I had to plan for every outcome just in case.

Unfortunately, those weren't the only thoughts that filled my head as I lay there. Like any other competitor the night before a huge competition, I lay there fantasizing every possible outcome of the Festival. I imagined myself waving to the adoring crowd as I stood on the podium of victory. I grimaced and squirmed as I considered the agony of defeat, watching as my classmates received praise and accolades from pro heroes and normal spectators alike.

I clenched my fists and knuckled my forehead. Now simply wasn't the time for me to be thinking myself to death, I needed sleep. I rolled onto my back and relaxed my body completely, slowing down my breathing and forcing my breaths to become longer and deeper. Then, like a bouncer clearing out a nightclub, I forced every single thought out of my head.

It was an old trick that I had learned when I suffered from insomnia from Sumisu's bullying. I imagined a completely white surface in my mind, as if I was holding a blank piece of paper in front of my eyes. It took a lot of concentration since I was so out of practice, but after a minute or two my mind was a blank slate. Then, like a sorcerer chanting an incantation, I began to mutter to myself:

"I see nothing...I hear nothing...I smell nothing...I feel nothing...I taste nothing...I _am_ nothing…"

One by one I felt my senses slip away as I passed into a meditative state, my body relaxing completely. In seconds, I was fast asleep.

XXX

" _You ready for tomorrow?" A voice said. I opened my eyes to see the familiar skyline of Tokyo stretched out around me. The lights of the skyscrapers lit up the night sky, and the sounds of traffic almost sounded miles away as the wind swirling between the buildings snatched it up and carried it away. I pushed my hair out of my face and turned to my right to face who had spoken._

 _A young man leaned against the guardrail nonchalantly, looking out over the city with the ghost of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He wore my hero costume, albeit it he looked more comfortable in it, as if it was as natural a thing to wear as casual street clothes._

" _Hey, you gonna answer my question?" He asked, his smile growing a little bit at my expense. I sighed and strode forward, joining him against the guardrail._

" _I mean...I think so…" I said hesitantly. The hero next to me raised an eyebrow._

" _You think so?" He said. "Doesn't sound like you're very confident."_

" _No! I mean...it's just a lot to process, you know? I've never done anything like this before, I don't really know what to expect."_

" _Yep, I hear you," The man said, keeping his eyes fixed on the horizon. "But you know what? You just have to let all your uncertainty go. No matter how hard you try, you'll never be able to predict what might happen. The world is a crazy and unpredictable place, full of more variables than there are stars in the sky. It's better to just react to what's happening as it's happening than to try to plan out your every move."_

" _But how?" I asked, turning to the man. "It's easy for you to say that, you're a pro! How can I just let go of my worry?"_

 _The man laughed and clapped me on the shoulder._

" _It's as easy as letting go of a hot mug!" He said, laughing._

" _Um...no it's not," I deadpanned. The hero saw that I wasn't amused and quickly cleared his throat, gathering himself._

" _Well...maybe it isn't that easy," He admitted. "But trust me kid, if I can do it then you can do it," He said, flashing me a grin. "After all, we're the same you and me. Just remember: let go…"_

XXX

My eyelids slowly creeped open, revealing the blurry image of my mom standing at the foot of my bed.

"Time to wake up, Kokuree," She said, smiling lovingly. "You have to get ready for the festival." Those words flipped a switch inside me, and like someone who realizes they're late I was instantly. I sprang out of bed and ushered my mom out the door so I could get ready.

I knew that they would be giving us our gym uniform to wear for the festival, but I also knew that this was U.A. I was dealing with, so I decided to wear my nicest running clothes so that I could look halfway decent and still be ready for action if the need arose.

My parents were both already busy in the kitchen when I emerged from my room. I breathed deeply as I strode down the hall, savoring the pleasant scents that were drifting from the kitchen. They scurried about like chefs during the dinner rush, clanging pots and pans, stirring, mincing, frying, and juicing. My mom set a glass of orange juice in front of me as I sat down, flashing me a quick smile before getting back to cooking.

The juice was cold, sweet, tangy, and delicious as it ran down my throat. I tried to savor it, but in seconds my glass was disappointingly empty. As I set the empty glass down in front of me with a sigh, my dad placed a small bowl of fruit down for me and swept my glass up.

"Thanks, da-"

"Don't talk. Eat." He ordered without turning around. I chuckled and saluted his back before digging into the fruit. The rest of the meal progressed in the same cycle: I would eat what they gave me, they would take my empty dishes, and they would set a new food-laden plate in front of me.

Before long my parents sat on either side of me, nursing mugs of tea as I finished a glass of water.

"Are you nervous?" My mom asked. I thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"I guess so, but not as much as you'd think," I said. "I guess I was more nervous for the entrance exam than I am for today, just because then everything was on the line. This time I don't have as much at stake."

"Good, the last thing you need is to be so nervous you freeze up," My dad said.

"Yeah, but even if things do get hairy I can just boost,"

"Just remember to take it easy with your quirk," My dad cautioned. "Boost too much and you'll wear yourself out."

"I know, I'll be careful," I replied, pushing my stool back. My parent's got up and followed me as I walked across the room to the door. They stood side by side as I laced up my stark white running shoes.

"Well, this is it," I said, standing up. My mom rushed forward and gave me a fierce hug, squeezing me tightly.

"Please be careful," She said. "I can't even imagine how dangerous it's going to be out there. All those powerful quirks squaring off like this...it's a wonder someone isn't killed."

"C'mon mom, it won't be that bad!" I said, gently prying her off me. "All of my classmates know when to stop, it really won't be dangerous at all!" It took everything I had not to break eye contact with her as flashes of Bakugou's screaming face and Dark Shadow's scoul filled my head.

"Can you just promise me that if things get too dangerous...you'll be safe…" She pleaded.

"Mom, I'll be fine," I said, stepping towards the door. "Now I really have to get going…"

"We know, get going," My dad said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "Go get 'em Kokuree. Show them who the next big hero really is."

"You got it dad," I said with a grin. "Bye mom, bye dad."

"Goodbye Kokuree!" My mom said, smiling and holding back tears.

"Good luck, son," My dad said, his eyes full of pride.

With that, I closed the door and made my way towards the train station.

XXX

I tapped my foot to the beat of the music blaring through my headphones as the train rolled towards my destination. I sat with my forearms resting against my thighs, leaned forward with my hands clasped between my knees. I could feel myself slipping into the zone as the train began to decelerate as it pulled into the station.

Hiking up my backpack and adjusting my headphones slightly, I got up from my seat and stepped off the train. I bobbed and weaved through the crowded station, imaging every passerby to be a swipe from Dark Shadow, or a bolt of lighting, or a flying chunk of ice. I got a few weird looks as I dipped, slid, and spun my way through the crowd, but I payed them no mind. I was _feeling_ it.

Pretty soon I was making my way up the hill towards U.A., bobbing my head to the music and shadow boxing with every step. I almost felt tempted to Boost, but I kept in control. The foot traffic towards U.A. was considerably greater than it was any other day, and it only got worse as I got closer to the campus.

My progress got slower and slower as the streets and sidewalks got more and more choked with cars, news vans, limousines, and people walking towards the arena. After nearly tripping over a toddler for the fourth time, I gave up on the sidewalk entirely and ducked into the yard of the house that stood against the street. I apologized for intruding under my breath as I walked across peoples' property.

It may not have been entirely polite of me, but it worked. My pace increased considerably and soon enough I was at U.A.'s front gates. I sighed in exasperation as I stood on the outskirts of the cesspool that was the gates. A solid wall of sweaty bodies stood before me, completely blocking my path onto campus. I tuned out the sounds of people and a female reporting griping about the size of the line and looked around desperately for a clearing or gap in the mass of bodies, unwilling to try to force my way through the crowd.

Past the gates I could see dozens of carts and kiosks peddling food and merchandise to the excited spectators. Pro heroes wandered through the crowds looking for trouble, an entourage of star struck fans usually close behind. I tore my eyes away from the spectacle and searched for a familiar face that could get me past this obstacle.

I let out a sigh of relief as I saw the familiar western-style cowboy hat of Mr. Snipe bobbing off to the side of the crowd. I hurried over to where the pro hero stood as he kept an eye on things.

"Mr. Snipe!" I called out. He turned towards me, his hand twitching down towards his holster almost imperceptibly. He relaxed when he saw it was me and stepped forward to meet me.

"Hey, Shiamasu," He greeted me, sticking up his hand. "Looking for a way in?"

"Oh yeah, actually I am!" I replied. He chuckled, his gas mask synthesizing the sound slightly.

"I figured as much," He said, turning to his right and pointing. "The student and staff entrance is a ways down there. You better hustle if you want to make it on time."

"Great! Thanks Mr. Snipe!" I took off without waiting for a reply, running across the pavement down the path Snipe had pointed out for me. Less than a minute later I stood outside a small back entrance to the stadium. A bored looking sidekick leaned against a sign that read 'Student and Staff Entrance'. Pretending not to be bored and fervently wishing he was inside the stadium.

I flashed my U.A. ID card as I strode by, but he barely glanced in my direction. The hubbub of the crowd grew quieter and quickly died away entirely as I made my way through the brightly lit concrete corridors of the stadium, following the signs for the student waiting rooms. As I rounded the corner I nearly walked into a table covered with U.A. gym uniforms. A sleepy-looking man sat behind the table, eyeing me over the rims of his spectacles.

"Name," He said.

"Um, Kokuree Shiamasu," I replied. The man's eyes darted across the table for a moment, then he grabbed a uniform and tossed it at me.

"Good luck, kid," He said as I walked by him, sounding like he could care less if I had good luck or bad when the Festival got under way. Turning another corner at the end of the hall, I saw a line of doors down the hall. Luckily for me, class 1-A's waiting room was the first door.

The sounds of low but excited chatter hit me as I opened the door and walked inside. My classmates sat and stood all across the room, in various stages of getting prepared. A few groups of my classmates stood together chatting, while the rest were seated around the room by themselves, probably psyching themselves up for the competition or concentrating on not getting sick.

"Hey, Shiamasu!" A familiar voice called out. I grinned as a familiar head of spiky red hair strode towards me.

"Hey Kirishima," I said, fist-bumping the fired up hero of hardening. "You ready for this?"

"Oh man, you wouldn't even believe how ready I am!" Kirishima replied, grinning from ear to ear. "My heart's beating so fast I feel like it might explode! I just want to get out there already and kick some butt!" I laughed as I made my way over to my locker.

"It's nice to see that you're as invigorated as ever," I said, tossing my bag into my locker.

"You know it!" Kirishima said, punching the locker next to mine with a grin. "I am ready to rock!"

"Yeah yeah, you're still going down when the actual competition starts," I said with a smirk. "Now give me some privacy so I can change, perv." Kirishima laughed and punched me in the arm before making his way over to Bakugou and Kaminari.

I headed into the back room/dressing area and quickly stripped off my street clothes and changed into my uniform. As I headed back into the main seating area, clothes in hand, the door swung open and Iida's determined frame filled the doorway.

"Everyone, get your game faces on!" Iida yelled. "We're entering the arena soon!" The was a murmur of assent from my classmates and the room filled with activity as my classmates began to move around and gather near the doorway. I saw a flash of red and white out of the corner of my eye as Todoroki stepped around me.

"Midoriya," Todoroki called out. The room grew quiet as Midoriya turned and faced icy-hot, all of us curious about what Todoroki could want with Midoriya. Todoroki was a man of exceptionally few words and he never associated or spoke with Midoriya before, so we were all wondering what he could want with Midoriya now.

"Hey Todoroki, what's up?" Midoriya said hesitantly, just as confused about the situation as we all were.

"From an objective standpoint, it's pretty clear that I'm stronger than you," Todoroki said. Somewhere a pin dropped, and we all stared at Todoroki. It was one thing to think you're better than someone else, but it's another thing entirely to say it to that person's face. And to be so...calm about it.

I clenched my fists and stepped towards the pair. Todoroki may have been justified in saying he was better, but he didn't have to be so casual about it. Todoroki had blatantly insulted a peer, and he had done so with the ease and confidence of someone saying that two plus two equals four.

"Hey, Todoroki," I said, narrowing my eyes at my classmate. "What gives you the right to go picking a fight like that?"

""Hang on, Shiamasu," Midoriya said, holding up a hand without breaking eye contact with Todoroki. "It's fine, he's right."

"But-" I tried to argue, but Midoriya shot me a look that shut me up.

"However," Todoroki continued as if I had never spoken. "You've got All Might in your corner helping you out."

' _What? All Might in Midoriya's corner? What does Todoroki mean?'_ I wondered. My classmates looked equally confused, but the look on Midoriya's face made it clear that he knew exactly what Todoroki meant.

"I'm not here to pry about what's going on between you two…" Todoroki said, lifting his head up so that he stood at his full height. "But know that I will beat you." Midoriya's jaw dropped, a flicker of fear darting across his face as Todoroki's mismatched eyes bored into his own.

"Alright, that's it," I said, stepping between the two. I'd heard enough, and I wasn't about to let Todoroki pick on Midoriya any more, not when the festival started so soon. "I don't know kind of game you're playing Todoroki, but lay off."

"Woah, what's with all these declarations of war lately?" Kaminari said as Kirishima pushed his own chair back and walked behind Todoroki.

"Yeah what's the big deal? Why are you picking a fight all the sudden?" Kirishima asked, putting his hand on Todoroki's shoulder.

"We aren't here to be each other's' friends," Todoroki said, shrugging Kirishima's hand off.

"Maybe, but that doesn't give you the right to talk down to any of us either, Todoroki," I said, glaring at him.

Todoroki looked at me for a moment, completely passive, before turning and walking calmly towards the door.

"Just remember, this isn't a team effort," Todoroki said over his shoulder. I tched at Todoroki's back.

"Smug bastard," I muttered. "Hey, you alright Midor-"

"Wait a sec' Todoroki," Midoriya said suddenly, stepping towards our red-and-white haired classmate. "I don't know what's going through your head, or why you think you need to tell me that you'll beat me. And yeah, of course you're better than me. In fact, you probably have way more potential than anyone in the hero course. That's why you got into the hero course so easily."

I could practically taste the rage in the air as Bakugou snarled at Midoriya, obviously having other ideas about who had the most potential.

"Hey take it easy, Midoriya," Kirishima said, putting his hands up in a calming gesture. "You're being a little hard on yourself, and us."

"No, he's right you guys," Midoriya argued. "All the other courses, they're coming for us with everything they've got. We're all going to have to fight to stand out."

Todoroki turned back to face Midoriya, still as calm as ever. But, a change had come over Midoriya. He didn't shake or stare at the ground. He drew himself up and met Todoroki's gaze with his own, his face set with determination.

"And I'll be aiming for the top too," He said. A pin dropping would have sounded like a gunshot it was so quiet. We were all blown away, first with Todoroki's actions and now with Midoriya's challenge.

"...Fine then…" Todoroki said, meeting Midoriya's eyes. Nobody moved or spoke as the two continued their silent stand off. I looked back and forth between my two classmates, unsure of whether or not to step in again. Before I could make a decision Iida suddenly cried out:

"Oh no! If we don't leave right now we're going to be late! Everyone please line up at the door so we can head to the field entrance!"

Without a word, Todoroki turned on his heel and strode across the room and out the door. Midoriya watched him go, then visibly deflated as Todoroki left the room. He let out a shaky sigh of relief.

"Hey, thanks for the backup, Shiamasu," He said, his eyes full of gratitude. "You too Kirishima."

"Ah, don't mention it," Kirishima said with a grin. "That was way unmanly of Todoroki to say stuff like that."

"Agreed," I said, nodding. "We should go before we get left behind."

"Yeah, you're right," Midoriya said, noticing for the first time that we were the last ones in the room. "Let's get going."

Kirishima and I followed Midoriya out of the room, hurrying to catch up with our classmates.

XXX

My classmates and I stood huddled together at the back of the tunnel, equal parts nervous and excited. The air hummed with the screams of the thousands of fans that were in the arena, and my teeth rattled in my skull from the force of the vibrations. I rubbed my palms together and cracked my knuckles, my eyes locked onto the light at the end of the tunnel that led to the arena.

' _This is it…'_ I thought. ' _This is my chance to show the world who I am.'_

"Let me hear you scream as our students make their way to the main stage!" Present Mic's voice echoed down the tunnel.

"Alright, that's our cue everyone," Iida said, stepping forward. "The time has come to introduce ourselves." Even Kirishima was silent as we began walking down the tunnel, each of us too overcome with whatever emotion we each felt to say a word. The music and screams grew louder and the light got brighter as we got closer to the opening.

My heart pounded in my chest and it took everything I had to keep my hands from shaking. There was no getting around it, I was nervous as heck. Present Mic's voice got louder and more excited as we got closer to the exit as he cheerfully announced our arrival.

"This first group is no stranger to the spotlight!" He declared. The crowd roared, already fully aware what group he meant. "You know them from withstanding a villain attack! The dazzling students lining up your TVs with solid gold skills! The hero course students of class 1A!"

I was momentarily blinded and deafened as I emerged from the tunnel, my senses completely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of sights and sounds that greeted me. The roar of the crowd was absolutely deafening as I walked towards the main stage in the center of the arena. Thousands of people screaming and cheering and stamping their feet for us...for me…

My head swiveled like an owl's as I tried to absorb every little detail of my surroundings. Fireworks glittered and sparkled overhead, and people of all shapes and sizes made up the crowd. The emerald grass of the arena was cut to the perfect length, and even the concrete of the center stage seemed impeccable.

As I walked further into the arena, I strange feeling of calm swept over me. Even though the eyes of the world were on me, I suddenly just as comfortable as I would have if the stadium was empty.

' _No, if anything I feel even more invigorated!'_ I thought, starting to smile. My smile grew until it was a full blown, ear-to-ear grin, and then I began to laugh. Then, I did something that even I never would have expected.

I began to wave to the crowd.

The spectators ate it up, screaming and cheering for me as I made my way towards center stage. The didn't know my name, but still they cheered for me as if I was their closest friend. It was amazing.

I was so caught up in my moment of glory that I didn't notice my class had stopped until I walked straight into Kirishima's back. I muttered an apology as I took my place behind him, still grinning as the kids from the other classes and course took their spots around us. My classmates and the crowd began to quiet down a little as a familiar figure took the center stage.

She had long black hair that ran down her back and blue eyes. She was clad in a seductive black and white body suit that emphasized her ample curves, as well as black high-heeled boots that ran up to her knees. She sported a pair of broken handcuffs like bracelets on each wrist, and her smile was as intoxicating as her quirk.

The pro hero Midnight smiled at us all as she lifted her weapon of choice into the air: a black and red leather flogger.

"Now the introductory speech!" Midnight declared.

' _Nice costume…'_ I thought appreciatively, but from the sounds of my classmate's mutters I was in the minority.

"Silence, everyone!" Midnight ordered, slashing the air with her flogger. "Now for the student pledge, we have...Katsuki Bakugou!"

"No...way…" I muttered in disbelief as Bakugou climbed the steps to the stage. "They really let him give the pledge?"

The stadium was silent as Bakugou stepped up to the mic. The crowed was on the edge of their seats, eagerly awaiting Bakugou's speech. My classmates and I- the people who really knew Bakugou- huddled together and tried to act like we didn't know him.

' _Please don't say something dumb please don't say something dumb-'_ I fervently prayed.

"I just wanna say…I'm gonna win," Bakugou said, as casual about his declaration as Todoroki had been with Midoriya. The air was suddenly filled a meaty crack as I facepalmed, and with the horrified gasps of my classmates.

' _That's exactly the opposite of what I meant!'_ I roared inwardly, glaring at my rash classmate as he stepped off the stage and made his way back to us. As if on cue, the other students began to boo and jeer at Bakugou, enraged that he had said something like that.

"You're going down, kid!"

"I've got your number, Bakugou!"

"Better watch your back out there!"

"Hey idiot, I hope you didn't pay for that haircut!"

Bakugou didn't react in any way to the venom of our fellow students, uncharacteristically quiet as he took his place among us. Midnight smirked at Bakugou for a moment, amused by his rash yet entertaining "pledge" before redirecting her gaze back at the crowd.

"Alright!" She began. "Without further ado, it's time to get started! This is where you begin feeling the pain! The first fateful game of the festival!"

' _Oh, bring it on lady.'_ I thought. ' _Whatever you have planned, it's nothing compared to the pain I've felt before.'_

Midnight lifted her flogger and a holographic display lit up behind her. A slot machine style roller spun faster than the eye could see for a moment before suddenly stopping. On the display was a yellow stick figure hurdling over an orange cone, the words "Obstacle Race" beneath it.

I practically jumped for joy as I read the words, a smile taking shape on my face. I couldn't have asked for a better event to show off my speed. And I didn't even have to Boost to a high level for this either, 48 mph would be more than enough to blow my competition away.

"All 11 classes will participate in this treacherous contest," Midnight said as a series of colorful images depicting the race appeared on the holographic screen. "The track is 4 kilometers along the outside of the stadium."

A new look came upon Midnight's face and she licked her lips hungrily as she turned back towards us.

"I don't want to restrain anyone, at least not in this game," She purred. "As long as you don't leave the track, you're free to do whatever your heart desires!" The crowd roared with approval at her words, eager to see a flashy and amazing display of our collective power.

"Now, take you places, everyone!" Midnight yelled. As one, we turned and ran towards the starting gate.

' _You got this.'_ I thought, psyching myself up. ' _It's a race, this was made for you. You can't lose.'_

One of the three green lights mounted above us went out. I cracked my neck and sunk into a runner's stance.

' _As long as you're smart and get an early lead, you won't have to worry about anyone else's powers. It's all going to come down to how far ahead I can get in this first hundred meters or so.'_

The second light went out. I exhaled slowly out of my mouth, relaxing my body.

' _No matter what, I have to break away!'_

"Boost: Level 1!" I whispered, letting my power take hold and spread throughout my body as the final light went dark.

"Begin!" Midnight roared as the crowd of students surged forward.

The Festival...was under way.

 **Hey guys! Sorry for making you all wait so long for an update, I took a little break from writing for a week or so, then I wanted to do a little work on a few other projects of mine, including my first yugioh fanfic which I just started (any yugioh fans here should go check it out). I also wanted to wait to update until my special project was complete. Some of you may have noticed, but Boosted has cover art now! And yes, that dashing fellow on the cover is none other than our very own Kokuree Shiamasu in the flesh! An extremely generous and talented Deviantart artist made it for the story, and needless to say I am absolutely thrilled with the result. Now, the reviews:**

 **Celestial Stratos: I'm not giving anything away about potential pairings. You'll just have to wait and see what happens.**

 **Victorsmyname: Sorry that I couldn't update sooner, I hope this update was worth the wait!**

 **Lord Terronus: Ah, my dear friend Lord Terronus. I will admit, I thought that I had lost you. I'm glad that you're back. As usual, your words both inspire and honor me to the highest degree. Thank you so much for your always kind words, and I hope that I can keep giving you the story that you rightfully deserve.**

 **Hollow360: Only the 4th best?! *flips table* Nah I'm only kidding. Honestly I'm just happy that it ranks that high. Thanks for the review!**

 **Shashabux: Well I can't say that your review wasn't enlightening. After rereading the story at nauseum after your review, I have to agree with you. The only trouble is, Shiamasu's quirk is incredibly, incredibly powerful. As the writer of this story and the guy who came up with the quirk itself, only I am fully aware of how devastatingly powerful it really is. Even with the physical backlash of the quirk, it still is incredibly potent and I've had to get pretty creative to ensure that it doesn't get too powerful. While it kills me to say this, even though Shiamasu is the main protagonist of this fic I need to be careful that he doesn't do anything to dramatically alter the flow of the original story of MHA, which includes using his quirk at full power with no repercussions. However, you're right. I have nerfed him a bit too much and he does seem a bit side-character-esque. You've given me a lot to think about, and it's clear that I need to go back to the drawing board a little.**

 **Whew that was long. Anyway, thank you all who read this chapter, and thank all of you wonderful people who read this story! If you're new to this story, welcome! If you like it, please follow and/or favorite Boosted to show your support! If you didn't like it, then please let me know why in the review section. I hope to see you all soon! See you all on the flipside.**


	18. Sports Festival pt 2: The Race

I was nearly swept off my feet as the crowd of students all pushed forward at once, and I was only saved by grabbing onto the shirt of the person in front of me. They cursed and threw me off, but by then I had regained my footing and was sprinting towards the front of the pack. I had Boosted to level 1, and if I was in open space I would be cruising along at my newfound speed of 48 mph, but in a tight space my power was basically useless.

And if the tunnel that we were all racing in was one thing, it was tight.

The tunnel was about 100 yards long and wide enough for eight people to move shoulder-to-shoulder down, but it was not designed to handle 220 people all trying to get from one end to the other at once. The tunnel itself was nothing fancy, just a poorly lit shoot of gray concrete. Everyone was pushing and shoving, elbowing and punching, kicking and dragging their opponents down around them, resulting in a bottleneck of epic proportions. My ears were filled with the sounds of feet slapping against the pavement, muffled blows, quirks being released, and the voices of my fellow first years.

"Ack!"

"Oof!"

"Hey, watch it!"

"Ow!"

"Get out of my way!"

"Don't let those 1-A kids get away!"

"Move it!"

"Isn't my uniform simply _dashing?"_

"Ouch!"

Normally I would have just gone with the flow and ran with the crowd, but not this time. This race meant more to me and the other hero course students than any other competition we had ever been in, and I wasn't about to let someone else have the spotlight. It was my time. So I played dirty.

I pushed kids aside. I blocked hastily thrown punches and elbows and dished them right back. I stepped on the backs of my competitors shoes. I ducked, dodged, rolled, and wove my way through the throng, gradually making my way towards the front of the pack.

As the end of the tunnel got closer and closer I began to see more and more openings as I reached the front end of the pack. I would have grinned happily as I began to pull away, but I was too busy pushing myself to run faster as I could hear the familiar sounds of Bakugou's explosions behind me as well as the angry screeches of Dark Shadow.

A few side-steps and a roll later I was in the front of the pack, with only one person in front of me. The pack leader had a familiar head of red and white hair, and plumes of frosty air trailed from his hands as he ran.

' _Todoroki…'_ I nearly growled, snapshots of his confrontation with Midoriya flashing through my mind. I could have just blown right past him and left him in the dust, but the sight of him in the front of the pack filled me with anger. He had meant to declare war with Midoriya and Midoriya alone, but in doing so he had pissed me off royally. If there was one thing I hated, it was arrogance. I may have been able to look past it, Todoroki was my classmate after all, but the sheer _casualness_ of his arrogance made it unforgivable.

So, I made a decision. Within a few strides I was side-by-side with Todoroki. He glanced at me out of the corner of my eye as I pulled up alongside him, and the glance became a look of surprise as he saw me draw my fist back.

"Have fun in the back!" I yelled, throwing my fist towards his eye. Years of combat training kicked in as Todoroki saw my fist flying towards his face. He had no time to block or dodge, so he simply tucked his chin and lowered his head so that instead of my punch hitting him in the eye like I intended it to it struck him on the top of his head above his eyebrow.

Todoroki's turtle maneuver worked, so instead of falling to the ground he simply stumbled a bit, but it was enough for me. With a chuckle I took off, eating up ground as I sprinted ahead of the pack. Present Mic's voice filled the air as the exit to the tunnel loomed ahead of me.

"AND...THE FIRST ONE OUT OF THE TUNNEL IS CLASS 1-A's OWN SUPERSONIC SPEEDSTER, KOKUREE SHIAMASU!" Even from outside the stadium the roar of the crowd was deafening as the thousands of spectators watched me come flying out of the tunnel from the jumbotrons inside the stadium.

As sunlight hit my face I spotted a camera crew ahead, eagerily tracking me as I sprinted closer. I grinned and shot them a wink as I zoomed by, completely caught up in my victory.

There may have still been an entire race still to run, but at that moment I was completely convinced that I had it in the bag. No one else in the class could even come close to matching my speed, so how could I possibly lose?

' _This is amazi-'_ I had time to think before I was suddenly and violently stopped in my tracks. My head whipped forward and my lower back cracked and popped like an accordian as my upper torso tried to maintain its forward momentum while my lower body suddenly stopped and locked in place.

I whipped my head down, my eyes widening as I saw what had made my legs suddenly lock in place. My legs were completely encased in ice, freezing them to the ground and locking me in place. A glassy trail of ice led back in the direction of the tunnel, stopping where a certain icy-hot classmate of mine was calmly running towards me.

"No!" I cried out, trying and failing to wrench my immobilized legs from their icy prisons, to no avail. I frantically clawed and beat my fists on the ice as Todoroki and the rest of the pack drew closer, but it was no good: the ice was rock-solid.

Time seemed to slow down to a crawl as Todoroki ran past me. Our eyes locked, his calm and blank expression a stark contrast to my panicked grimace. A large patch of red was taking form on his forehead where my punch landed, but it clearly hadn't done much to deter his pace or his quirk. As he ran by me I heard a sound that set my blood to a boil and nearly caused me to scream in rage.

"Hmph." He grunted, the sound of dismissal breaking me down more than any word or phrase ever could have. With one short sound he completely wrote me off, making the same sound towards me as he would have made towards a pesky mosquito, or any number of insignificant annoyances. Because that's what I was in his eyes: an insignificant annoyance.

I hammered the ice desperately, bloodying my knuckles badly as I rapped futiliy on Todoroki's trap. After a few moments a few more competitors began to run past me, hardly sparing me a backwards glance as they chased Todoroki.

I looked around pleadingly, silently begging anyone who met my eyes to help me. Some students slowed down briefly when they saw me, seeming to consider lending me a hand before continuing on their way. Others simply glanced in my direction as they sprinted by, taking note of me as no more than an obstacle to avoid. The rest, mainly the kids I had pushed and punched aside in the tunnel, sniggered and jeered at me as they ran by, enjoying the sweet taste of karma.

"Please, somebody help get me out of this!" I yelled. Suddenly, I saw a familiar spike of red hair poke up from the pack behind me.

"Kirishima!" I called out to my classmate as he drew closer. "Help get me out; Todoroki froze my legs!"

Kirishima's eyes widened when he saw the state I was in, and I heaved a sigh of relief when I saw his pace slow a bit.

"Thanks Kirishima-" I began to say as Kirishima reached me...and then continued on past me.

"I'm sorry, Shiamasu!" Kirishima apologized over his shoulder as he ran. "Nothing personal, it's just time that I won!"

All I could do was make an incoherent yell of anger and disappointment as my friend ran off, leaving me behind. Within moments I was completely alone on the track, all of the other runners having run off to complete the race. I raised my fists to hammer on the block of ice again, but lowered them with a grunt of anger when I saw the state they were in. Blood trickled down my bruised and scraped knuckles, and I looked away in disgust. Changing tactics, I scanned the ground within arm's reach to see if there was something I could use to break free. A sturdy branch, a rock, a piece of metal, _anything..._ but it was no good. The course was clear.

I looked helplessly at the ice, racking my brain to find a way out. It was a pretty hot day and a small pool of runoff was already forming around the ice as it melted, but it would take far too long for the ice to melt enough for me to escape.

"Dammit!" I yelled, slamming my fist against the ice.

 _ **BA-BOOM**_

I swayed and swung my arms to stay upright as the ground suddenly rocked and quaked from a massive impact. I raised my head to the sky from further down the course and saw a massive cloud of dust and smoke rising up into the sky, along with a plume of ice vapor. As I watched the cloud rise up into the sky, a pebble suddenly fell from the sky and hit me square in the middle of my forehead. Then, like a switch being flipped, dozens of rocks and shards of metal began to rain from the sky around me.

' _Debris from the explosion!'_ I cheered in my head, straining my eyes to see if I could catch a piece of the metal as they fell.

"Please please please…" I begged, pleading with the airborne shrapnel to come my way. I cheered when I saw something metallic glint in the sunlight above me then begin to fall. I stretched my arms out to catch the metal is it fell, but my smile quickly became a look of fear as I realized that the shard of debris falling towards me was a long piece of metal.

Long and, if my eyes didn't deceive me, sharp.

Unable to run, I did the best thing I could do. I covered my head with my hands and ducked, doing my best to squat as low as my frozen legs would allow. I felt an instantaneous disturbance in the air inches above my head and my instincts screamed at me as the spear-like object passed above my head and impaled the ground directly in front of me. Nearly three-feet long, the olive-green piece of metal in front of me would have been more than enough to kill me where I stood had it been a few inches lower. With a shaky and somewhat shocked chuckle, I reached forward and wrenched the metal from the ground.

Blunt on one end and sharp on the other, the debris in my hand was the perfect tool I needed to break free from Todoroki's trap. I raised the metal high above my head, then brought it down on the ice with a sharp crack. Already weakened by the sun's rays, a shard of ice the size of a soda can broke off from the blow.

I hacked at the ice with gusto, ice chips flying in all directions as I laid into it. Less than a minute later I was free and sprinting down the course.

"Boost: Level 2!" I yelled, accelerating up to 80 mph to catch up to the other competitors. As I got closer to the first corner I began to hear the sounds of a fight. I skid to a stop as I turned the corner, taking in the scene before me.

Dozens of the robotic villains from the entrance exam were locked in combat with the other first years, blocking the way forward. A few of the 0-point goliaths towered over the battlefield just beyond the ranks of their smaller cohort, acting as sentinels just in case anyone made it through. One of the 0-pointers lay in a massive crater where it had fallen, and sparking hunks of its metal corpse were strewn about the battlefield. Parts of it were covered in ice, indicating who had been the one to do it in.

' _That explains the tremor I felt, and where all the debris came from.'_ I thought, glancing at Todoroki's handiwork for another moment before switching my attention to the battle. It seemed that a few of the hero course students from both classes had already made it through, but a fair amount of my classmates and the students from the other courses were still fighting.

The hero course students were fighting with everything they had, using their quirks to their maximum capacities to try to force their way past the robots. The support course students were also fighting, but at a much more moderate rate, as they weren't really in it for the combat and glory of the festival. Many of the general studies students were hanging back along the outskirts of the fight, waiting for the hero course students to clear a path for them.

I didn't hesitate when I saw an opening, darting along the right boundary of the course where the concentration of villains was the least. I was about halfway through the battlefield when a 1-pointer finally noticed me, its single red eye locking onto me with a murderous glint.

The machine revved its engines and headed towards me, the mini guns under its arms spinning aggressively. When it was within range it raised an arm high above its head, ready to crush me into the pavement. I side-stepped the blow casually, the memories of my fights with these machines during the entrance exam providing me with all the data I needed. By the time the machine got itself turned around I was long gone.

The 0-pointers all turned their heads to regard me as I sprinted closer, and as one they raised their massive metal fists. I counted down in my head and as their fists descended I leapt into the air and dove towards the treads of the closest robot. Their attacks missed me by inches, and I was blown forward by the resulting shockwave and tossed onto the treads of the robot.

I coughed and shook my dust-covered head, scrabbling to my feet and scurrying along the top of the machine's massive treads before it could roll forward and knock me off. I jumped off the back of the villain and, just for the style of it, did a flip in midair and hit the ground running.

I ate up ground as I sprinted down the course, my legs a blur as I put distance between me and the robots behind me. As I ran I passed a few of the kids in front of me, including Kirishima. Being the forgiving person I am, I shouldered him into the barrier as I ran by him. He cursed and roared in anger and pain at me as I ran away, laughing at his expense.

The next corner presented the next obstacle, one that put me to a screeching halt.

"Holy…" I whispered, my eyes widening.

A massive man-made canyon lay in front of me. It was at least 500 yards across, and deep enough that they'd have to send me home in a tin can if I fell. Flat-topped rock spires grew up like teeth from the canyon floor, each one connected by a network of ropes. Several kids were already making their way across the ropes, hanging upside down by their hands and feet and inching forward.

Even with my enhanced speed giving me an enormous boost to my long jumping, the spires were still too far apart for me to leap from one to the other. I groaned and walked forward, taking one of the ropes in my hands. I didn't relish the idea of making my way across the gorge on a rope, but I didn't really have a choice.

Right as I was about to start my harrowing climb across, a girl's voice screeched and the sounds of engines revving filled my ears. My jaw dropped as a girl with thick pink hair and enormous white boots of some kind flew forward and over the side. She swung like a pendulum from the cables that stretched from the belt at her waist and flew up into the air, rocketing into the air and landing on a spire 80 yards away.

I shook my head and forced myself to stop ogling at the support student, looking down at the rope in my hand. As I looked at the rope and at the girl swinging across the canyon I got an idea.

"I'm definitely going to die," I moaned, taking the rope in both hands and backing up as far as I could. I stood clenching the rope with a white-knuckled grip, my enhanced brain rapidly performing all of the calculations of my suicidal plan.

"Starting angle equals 110 degrees, the force of gravity equals mass X gravity X cosine 110, starting velocity equals 80 mph, horizontal distance equals starting velocity X time of free fall and swing…" I mumbled, checking and double checking the physics. With a sound that was somewhere between a moan and a sigh, a sprinted forward.

With a scream, I threw myself over the side of the canyon. The exclamations and yells of surprise from my classmates echoed in my ears for a moment before the wind snatched them away. My eyes quickly filled with tears as my face was bombarded by the force of the wind that was whipping through the canyon, and I could feel my hair being blown backwards like I had stuck my head out of a car window. I sent silent, wordless prayer to whoever was listening that my plan would work as the ground rushed up to meet me, eager to make a new friend.

I cried out as the rope suddenly went taught, wrenching my arms and shoulders as I held on with all of the strength I could muster. I yelled as the rope swung, carrying me forward and up. I shook my head fiercely to shake loose the tears in my eyes so I could pinpoint the spire that I was going to land on.

With my target landing zone locked in my eyes, I waited for my makeshift rope swing to reach its zenith. At the precise moment the rope stopped moving with an upwards velocity, I let go. I was carried high into the air and forward thanks to the forward momentum of the rope swing. Then, like a penguin that had been thrown off a tree, I fell.

I landed on the top of the rock spire hard, all of the wind rushing out of me with the force of impact. I lay there for a long 30 seconds, choking as I struggled to breath and chuckling sadistically to myself. It had worked. I was alive. And, I had made substantial progress as well, far more than I would have if I had simply tried to climb across.

I sat up and took a moment to survey the remaining section of canyon that lay before me. I sighed heavily and picked up the end of the next rope.

XXX

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH-OOF!" I lay on the other side of the canyon in a ball, trembling and sniveling. The palms of my hands were rubbed raw from the ropes I had swung on, and my shoulders and arms felt like molten lead had been poured into them. My fingers ached terribly and were curled up like claws from how hard I had been gripping the ropes. My jaw throbbed since I had clenched it so much and my head was pounding. It had taken 7 swings. 7 gut-wrenching, suicidal, horribly dangerous swings.

But it had worked. I was alive and, sort of, well on the other side of the canyon. I groaned and hauled myself to my feet, making small circles with my arms to loosen them and my shoulders up.

"Gotta keep moving," I muttered to myself, taking off back down the track. As I sprinted down the track I began to feel small tremors coursing through the ground at random intervals, and I could faintly hear explosions in the distance. The quakes became stronger and the booms louder as I ran, and as I turned the final corner I saw what was causing them.

In the distance I could see the entrance into the stadium and the finish line, but a massive dirt field lay between me and it. I few students were already making their way across the field, and I could see Bakugou and Todoroki fighting near the end of the field. Small circles of darker dirt were scattered all over the field, and the students were making slow progress and seemed to be doing whatever they could to avoid them. Two massive billboards stood on either side of the entrance, with two words painted on them with a skull.

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," I groaned. As if to answer, one student was suddenly blown into the air as a multi-colored explosion erupted beneath him. "They really built a minefield…"

I studied the field intently, taking note of the tracks that previous runners had made in the dirt. I couldn't just sprint across the minefield or I would get blown up, but my speed would still help me out. I could follow the paths the other competitors had taken and make up a lot of time that way, at least until I caught up to them. After that I was on my own.

I took a deep breath, exhaled, then stepped onto the field. I darted across the minefield as fast as I dared to, leaping and running from one patch of dirt to the next as I leapfrogged across the deadly terrain. As I ran I began to make sense of the placement of the mines, and began to discern a pattern in the randomness.

Humans are interesting creatures in that they need patterns. They crave them and live by them. The cycle of day and night, scheduled days of work and rest, meals taken at certain times, patterns are what dominate the human psyche. From that truth an interesting fact emerges; even when humans are trying to be random, patterns can still be found amongst the randomness.

In this instant, even though the mines at first appeared to be scattered and placed randomly across the field, there was still one pattern that could be detected. All of the mines were placed equidistant from each other. Although they were scattered, none were too far apart or too close together. Once I had realized that, I opened up on the throttle and began to zoom across the minefield at a much faster rate.

The sounds of Todoroki and Bakugou fighting got louder as I ran closer to them. Bakugou cursing and yelling at Todoroki, Todoroki's subdued grunts, and explosions. I looked for a way around them, but there wasn't any.

The staff of U.A. who had designed the course were clever, and had structured each obstacle in such a way that they both provided the students with a unique challenge and gave their viewers maximum entertainment. Towards that end, they had designed the minefield to vaguely resemble a bottle, with the end becoming increasingly narrow. This would force the students together and create opportunities for missteps and fights.

This was working against me now, as I was now going to be forced to try to fight my way through Todoroki and Bakugou. I didn't relish the idea of getting in the middle of a fight between the two most powerful students in my class, but I had no other choice.

Within seconds I was nearly on top of them, but they still hadn't noticed me. They were too wrapped up in their own fight to pay me any mind.

' _This is my chance!'_ I thought, bracing myself. I bent my knees and, swinging my arms forward, leapt towards Todoroki. Present Mic's voice boomed overhead from the loudspeakers as I grabbed onto both of Todoroki's shoulders and leapfrogged over him.

"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE ME EYES! IT SEEMS THAT KOKUREE SHIAMASU FOUND A WAY TO FREE HIMSELF FROM TODOROKI'S ICE TRAP AT THE START OF THE RACE, AND HAS JUST HURDLED HIS CLASSMATES TO TAKE FIRST PLACE!"

I saw Todoroki's eyes widen below me as I soared over him, and I heard Bakugou scream in outrage.

"Oh no you don't!" Bakugou roared, blasting into the air. I yelped as Bakugou's face was suddenly inches from my own, his furious red eyes boring into mine. He grabbed my roughly by the collar of my shirt and threw me down to the ground towards Todoroki.

Todoroki raised his right hand to freeze me again as I flew towards him, but I managed to knock his hand away before he could grab onto me. I landed and sent a jab towards Todoroki, which he dodged easily before sending one back of his one. I caught the blow with my hand, but yelped as it began to freeze. I hurriedly let go and leapt away from Todoroki, trying to get out of range of his ice attacks.

"Bastards!" Bakugou roared, reentering the fray. He blasted himself into the air and aimed a spinning kick at Todoroki's head while at the same time sending an explosion my way. I dove out of the way before the explosion could hit me. I felt the heat on my back and the shockwave made my shirt billow wildly, but I managed to maintain my course and caught myself on my hands before I could land on any of the mines. I saw Todoroki block Bakugou's kick and throw a lightning combination of punches towards Bakugou, which were all blocked or avoided. Leaping to my feet, I ran towards my two classmates and joined the fight again.

"THE TOP THREE COMPETITORS ARE NOW FIGHTING IT OUT AT THE END OF THE MINEFIELD!" Present Mic boomed. "WHICH ONE OF THEM WILL COME OUT ON TOP?! THE SUSPENSE IS KILLING ME!"

The three of us fought towards the end of the minefield, slowly but surely making progress towards the finish line. We danced and dodged across the dirt, attacking and defending in quick succession. I was fighting for my life, but I couldn't help but feel exhilarated too. Never in my life had I been in a fight that was so intense with so much at stake. All three of us were giving it our all, each of us using all of our combat skills to their maximum capacity to try to get an edge. I bobbed and weaved, spun and dodged, punched kicked and grappled. Dirt flew up around us as we fought our way closer to the finish line, and the explosions of the mines made for a bombastic soundtrack to our own personal fight scene.

My right sideburn had burn burned off from one of Bakugou's explosions, and my left arm was partially frozen, but I was still giving just as much as I was taking. I had managed to give Bakugou a bloody nose, and I clipped Todoroki's ear when he lost his footing after nearly stepping on a mine.

With 15 yards until the end of the minefield Todoroki and Bakugou switched tactics, concentrating their attacks on me. They both knew that if I made it to the end of the minefield then the race would be as good as over, so they had to make sure that that didn't happen. Even with my extra speed it was taking everything I had just to avoid their attacks and I could gradually feel my defenses crumbling under their assault.

Suddenly, I felt a click beneath my foot and I froze.

' _That's a mine…'_ I thought without looking down. As soon as I lifted my foot off the ground the mine would detonate, blowing me away. Todoroki and Bakugou hadn't noticed my predicament, and they were both lunging at me. Bakugou's face was a mask of anger and bloodlust as he flew towards me, smoke as black as death trailing from his palms. Todoroki's face was still as calm as ever, but now there was a glint of intensity in his eyes as he drew back his fist to deliver the final blow.

 _ **KA-BOOOOOOM**_

Todoroki, Bakugou, and I all froze in place as an enormous explosion blossomed at the beginning of the minefield. The resulting shockwave almost blew the three of us off our feet as all of the students turned and gawked at the massive mushroom-cloud of pink dust that flew into the sky.

"WHAT'S WITH THAT HUGE EXPLOSION IN THE BACK?!" Present Mic's voice boomed. "THAT WAS WAY MORE POWERFUL THAN IT SHOULD BE!"

As I watched the cloud of smoke and dust lift into the air, a large object suddenly burst out from the mushroom cloud. At first I thought it was just a piece of debris, but as the object reached the top of its parabolic path and began to fall I saw a familiar mop of unruly green hair poking out from the front of the object.

"Holy...is that-?" I whispered, awestruck.

"DEKU!" Bakugou roared, spittle flying from his mouth as he watched Midoriya fall from the sky. Without a word Bakugou took off, intent on reaching Midoriya before he hit the ground. Todoroki, finally realizing what had happened to me, took off after him.

I looked at the two of them, then down at my feet, then back at them, then at my feet again. I came to a snap decision.

"Please don't hurt too much," I said, crossing myself and lifting my foot off the mine.

 _ **KA-BOOM**_

The explosion did hurt. A lot. I was thrown bodily into the air as the explosion picked me up and tossed me like a rag doll. But, much to my amazement, the explosion had sent my flying right towards Bakugou and Todoroki. My instincts suddenly began to scream at me, and I looked to my right just as Midoriya flew by me. For a fraction of a second we locked eyes, and I saw the same look of terrified determination on his face that I had seen three times before.

And then he was gone, hurtling past me towards our two classmates. Right as he was about to hit the ground, he planted his feet on Todoroki and Bakugou's shoulders and lifted the giant piece of robot he had used to propel himself through the air high above his head.

' _Not again…'_ I groaned in my head as Midoriya slammed the sheet of metal into the ground.

 _ **KA-BOOM**_

For the second time I felt myself being thrown into the air as the cluster of landmines beneath Midoriya's slam detonated. I saw Todoroki and Bakugou fly backwards with me, but I lost sight of Midoriya in the cloud of pink smoke. I hit the ground and sprang to my feet, by some miracle avoiding any land mines. Without looking to see what had happened to Todoroki and Bakugou, I took off running towards the end of the minefield.

"IN A STUNNING MOVE, MIDORIYA HAS BLASTED PAST HIS CLASSMATES FROM 1-A!" Present Mic yelled, solving the mystery of what happened to Midoriya after the explosion. "HE CLEARED THAT MINEFIELD IN AN INSTANT! ERASERHEAD, YOUR STUDENTS ARE AMAZING! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU TEACHING THEM?!"

As soon as I stepped off the minefield I accelerated back to full speed, sprinting with everything I had to catch up to Midoriya. I heard Bakugou's animalistic screech of fury as I sped away, leaving him and Todoroki in the dust.

' _Crap, Midoriya got more of a boost from that explosion than I anticipated,'_ I thought, watching as Midoriya ran into the tunnel ahead of me. I followed him in seconds later, and I was rapidly catching up with him.

Midoriya must have heard my rapid footfalls behind him and he shot a look over his shoulder, his eyes widening as he saw me gaining on him. He turned back around and sped up, but he had no chance to outrun me. Soon I was 20 yards away. Then 15...then 10…then 5…

"I'm sorry, Shiamasu!" Midoriya yelled, turning and throwing his fist towards me without aiming. I grinned triumphantly. Midoriya was too far away for his punch to hit me, and his foolish attack slowed him down so much that I would be able to blow right by him. I also knew that he'd never go full power on a friend with his quirk, so I knew I was safe.

I was still smiling when the shockwave hit me, nearly knocking me off my feet and causing me to slide to a stop. Midoriya grunted in pain as he turned and ran off down the tunnel, pumping his arms like pistons to put distance between me and him.

"Dammit," I grunted, taking off after Midoriya. "I didn't realize he could use his power at limited capacity like that." As much as it pissed me off, I had to hand it to Midoriya: he had really pulled one over on me.

I heard Present Mic's voice announce Midoriya's victory as Midoriya ran out of the tunnel ahead of me, and the ground quaked with the force of the crowd's cheers.

I sprinted the final few yards and darted out into the sunlight of the stadium, the light momentarily blinding me as I slid to a stop at the finish line.

"AND IN A STUNNING TURN OF EVENTS, CLASS 1-A'S KOKUREE SHIAMASU HAS NOT ONLY CAUGHT UP TO THE OTHER COMPETITORS AFTER AN EARLY SETBACK, BUT HAS TAKEN 2ND PLACE! WHAT A COMEBACK!"

I smiled and, with a laugh, raised my hands over my head in the classic victory pose.

' _And the crowd goes wild…'_ I thought.

And the crowd went wild.

 **Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait for this update, life really loves to throw curveballs at me. Like, a lot of curveballs. And I don't even play baseball, how does life expect me to hit them all? Doesn't make a lick of sense. Anyway, the reviews:**

 **Victorsmyname: I hope this had enough action for you, but even if it didn't there will definetly be plenty in the updates to come. And I'm glad you appreciate the little details I add, it took me a long time to get that facet of my writing down. Hope you enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Lord Terronus: Ahh...Sumisu. I have some ideas for how to integrate him into the story because he does play a pivotal role in the origin story of Shiamasu. As of right now that's the best I can give you, forgive me. I hope this chapter was as enjoyable as the others were! Plus Ultra to you too!**

 **Vantes: Hello! I'm glad that you like the story, and I hope to see you here again!**

 **Thank you all who read this update, and thank all of you wonderful people who continue to show support for Boosted! You guys are the reason that this story exists, and you have just as much to do with its success as I do. Foy you newcomers, hello! I hope you like the story so far, and if you do let me know by following or favoriting the story. That's all I got for now, see you all on the flipside.**


	19. Sports Festival pt 4: Post-race

The sidekick groaned as Present Mic's voice boomed out from over the top of the stadium, his play-by-play of the first event in the Sports Festival driving him nuts. He slouched against the cool cement wall of the stadium with his arms folded tight against the orange chest of his costume glaring at the sign next to him - it read [Student and Staff Entrance Only] -. He tried to ignore the clamor coming from inside the stadium, but the excited uproar of the crowd was impossible to ignore. The air practically vibrated with the raw energy of the fans inside the stadium, and their boisterous roars seemed to penetrate beyond his ears and into his mind.

"They could have at least given me a TV to watch the games on…" The sidekick grumbled, adjusting his utility belt and sighing heavily. "I can't believe Snipe assigned me to guard this stupid entrance...after all the work I've put in these past few months…"

The sidekick continued to grumble as the race progressed around him, his mood further blackened by the fact that the competitors were separated from him by a thick wall of trees and shrubbery, so even though he could hear the race he couldn't see it. A vein throbbed in the sidekick's forehead as the yells of the students got louder as they got closer to where he was. He tapped his foot hard against the ground as the chaotic music of battle began to ring in his ears.

"Stupid heroes and their stupid entrance...this isn't fair…"

He ran his forked tongue across his teeth and began to breath heavily with anger as the crowd's roars of approval and wonder continued to rise in volume and pitch. By the time the competitors reached the minefield, the zone where he was the closest to, his temper had reached a boiling point. He ground his teeth and paced back and forth like a lion in a cage as mines began to detonate on the other side of the foliage.

"This. Isn't. Fair."

Suddenly, a massive explosion erupted on the other side of the wall of trees, sending a shockwave of wind towards the sidekick. The sidekick looked up in shock and awe at the multicolored mushroom cloud that was blossoming up from the minefield.

"What the…"

The sidekick's eyes suddenly widened to cartoonish proportions as a figure, a kid with green hair, suddenly flew out from the explosion, riding a piece of metal like a sled. The screams from the crowd at the sight of the student flying through the air crashed against the sidekick's ears like a tsunami. That was the straw that broke the camel's back.

"Forget this!" The sidekick spat. "I'm watching the end of this damn race!" The sidekick looked left and right and left again, then stuck his tongue out. His quirk, parseltongue, allowed him to taste the air like a snake and use it to detect if there were any people in the area through a combination of taste and smell. The sidekicked flicked his tongue and hissed, tasting the air like a snake.

' _Damn...too many different smells…'_ The sidekick thought as his tongue wiggled in the air. ' _Can't really differentiate between them all…'_ The sidekick withdrew his tongue and pondered for a moment.

He could leave his post and risk a security breach, which would mean the end of his career as a superhero and potentially bring harm to thousands of people.

Or he could watch the last two minutes of the race.

The sidekick briefly weighed his options, then reached the most obvious conclusion about what he should do next.

"...Juuuuust a quick peek…" The sidekick looked left and right again, then darted across the pavement and ducked into the trees.

The unguarded door sat alone in the hot spring sun, it's only company the echoes of Present Mic and the roaring of the crowd. Luckily for the door, its loneliness only lasted a moment, as the sidekick had barely crossed into the wall of trees and bushes before a hooded head tentatively poked its way around the corner.

A few loose strands of sky-blue hair dangled out from the corner of the white hood, which the figure hurriedly stuffed back into place behind their ear as they watched the orange and black suited sidekick dart into the foliage on the edge of the track.

The figure took one last look around, tightening the straps around the small backpack on their shoulders, then scurried towards the door. The bag sloshed against their back as they half-ran half-tiptoed towards the student and staff entrance. They crossed the open pavement in seconds and quickly ducked inside the stadium before anyone spotted them.

Once the door was safely closed behind her, Chi breathed a sigh of relief and pushed the hood off her head, allowing her long blue hair to cascade freely down her back.

"Good thing he got distracted by the race…" Chi muttered with a relieved grin. "I was not looking forward to trying to flirt with him." Chi looked around to make sure the coast was clear, then slung the backpack off her shoulders and peeked inside. Once she had confirmed that the contents of the bag were still safely stowed away, she threw the bag over her shoulders again and stood up.

"Alright Speedy...where are you?" Chi looked at the three hallways to her left, right, and in front of her, then took off down the right hallway, her feet making no sound against the concrete as she ran off.

XXX

I lowered my arms, but my grin remained on my face as I turned in a circle, taking in the crowd. They were all on their feet, cheering and whistling and clapping and screaming down at us. One of the cameramen had focused on me, and suddenly one of the jumbotrons high above my head glowed with the image of my sweaty, dirty, bloody, ecstatic face. I laughed and wiped a smudge of dirt from my chin, turning to watch my classmates and fellow competitors finish.

Todoroki and Bakugou ran into the stadium a moment later, about as close as close can be in a race. From my place away from the finish line I could see no discernable way to tell who beat who, but Present Mic declared to the world that Todoroki had finished 3rd, and Bakugou 4th.

Bakugou screamed in rage and punched the ground, dirt and grass flying in all directions from the explosion that erupted from his fist. He punched the ground once, twice, three more times in quick succession, then lifted his head and glared at Midoriya. His red eyes twitched in fury as he looked at him, and even from here I could see the muscles of his forearm quiver with the strain as he clenched his fists. For a moment his eyes darted to me, and I shuddered as his eyes met mine.

' _So much hate...so much like...him…'_ Bakugou bared his teeth in an angry snarl, then abruptly stood and stalked off towards the corner of the field. I sighed with relief as his eyes left mine. I looked down at my hands and saw that they were shaking slightly, and then I realized that I had completely tensed up and I forced myself to relax.

I lifted my head and saw that Todoroki was also looking at me. Steam floated off him as he recovered, flecks of ice sliding off his clothes as his heat thawed his body. In a sharp contrast to Bakugou's hellish sneer, Todoroki's mismatched eyes were completely emotionless. He may have been breathing and wiping sweat from his brow, but his eyes were as glassy and lifeless as a doll's. He looked at me with that piercing, lifeless look for a long moment, then turned and strode off.

"Freaking drama kings," I muttered, looking back and forth at my two classmate's backs. I sighed and shook my head. I glanced up absentmindedly and saw Midoriya on the jumbotron. I smacked my forehead, and turned to my classmate.

' _I have to go congratulate him!'_ I thought, setting off at a brisk walk towards the green-haired powerhouse.

He stood with his hands on his knees, his chest heaving as he gasped and sucked in huge mouthfuls of air. Sweat dripped off his beet-red face and left dark stains on his blue uniform. The arm he had used to attack me trembled and twitched, but otherwise looked healthy. His running shoes were stained with dirt, grass, and flecks of blood.

"Hey, Midoriya!" I called. He looked up and gave me a small grin. I clapped him on the shoulder as he straightened up. "That was an awesome race, congratulations!"

" _Huff_...thanks... _puff_...Shiamasu…" He panted. His eyes were wet with tears, but I couldn't tell if they were from emotion or sheer exertion. "How... _wheeze..._ how do you still have... _cough cough..._ so much energy?"

"Oh, my quirk hasn't worn off yet, so I'm still full of energy!" I replied with a laugh. The race and finish had pumped me full of adrenaline, and it was making me giddy. I slung my arm over my classmate's sweaty shoulder and leaned in conspiratorially.

"So Midoriya, I gotta ask...what possessed you to blow yourself up like that?" Midoriya grinned shyly and stole a glance over his shoulder.

"Oh that? That was nothing...I just got lucky is all. Lucky and desperate…" Midoriya looked much better now, and his breath had almost completely returned to him.

"Well do you think you could share some of that luck with me?" I asked with a good-natured chuckle. "I want to win this thing too, you know." Midoriya laughed nervously and glanced over his shoulder again, his eyes darting behind him almost guiltily.

"Hey, what are you looking at?" I asked, turning around. There was a sharp intake of breath from Midoriya, and his eyes widened.

"Oh, nothing! Nothing at all!" Midoriya said, a panicked look in his eyes. "I was just checking out the crowd is all! Man, can you believe how many people are here?! It's actually kind of cra-"

I could faintly hear Midoriya's voice on the edge of my consciousness, but I failed to register any of his words as my eyes landed on the gloomy entrance of the tunnel that led to the underbelly of the stadium. I shook my head and knuckled my eyes, convinced that my vision was just swimming with sweat. When I opened them again and peered towards the tunnel I knew that my eyes weren't lying.

She stood wraithlike on the edge of the shadows, clad in white pants and her trademark white hoodie, hugging the concrete wall just beneath the lip of the tunnel. For half a moment I thought she was just a trick of the light or another student, but the familiar wave of blue hair around her shoulders put that thought to rest as soon as it registered.

"Chi…?!" I whispered, not sure whether to be shocked, awed, angry, happy, or simply dumbfounded. She began to beckon frantically to me when she saw that I had finally noticed her, shaking a small backpack in front of her face and pointing at it and then at me.

"Hey Shiamasu, you okay?" Midoriya asked, looking at me with concern. "Why'd you go all quiet? And what are you looking at?" Now it was my turn to be panicked as I leapt in front of Midoriya, standing as close to him as I could to block his view of the tunnel.

"Oh, I just got lost in space for a second!" I said quickly, a huge and obviously insincere grin on my face. I draped my arm over Midoriya's shoulder and steered him away from the tunnel, careful to keep my body in between him and Chi in case he turned around.

' _I don't know why she's here, but there's no way she's aloud to be down there. I have to make sure Midoriya doesn't see her.'_ I thought with an urgent frown.

"Anyway, what were you saying again? You were in the middle of telling me a great joke, right?"

"A joke…? I don't think I was-" Midoriya tried to turn and look at me, a confused and somewhat nervous glint in his eyes, but I applied gentle pressure on his neck with my arm, locking his head in place.

"Sure you were! It was a real kick, something about Aizawa if I recall."

"No, I-"

"Oh come on, don't hold out on me now, Midoriya. Go on, finish it up! I'm dying for the punchline."

"Shiamasu, what are you-"

"Deku!" A familiar female voice gasped. I fought to keep from grinning as Midoriya and I turned to see Uraraka trotting towards us.

' _Perfect!'_ I thought, practically pushing Midoriya towards her.

"Looks like you have a fan buddy," I whispered into Midoriya's ear, a knowing grin on my face.

"N-no!" Midoriya stammered, blushing fiercely. "It isn't-I mean she's not- it isn't like that!"

"Well it could be if you stopped acting shy and talked to her!" I replied with a sly grin. With one final nudge, I sent my green-haired friend stumbling towards Uraraka.

"Go get her, tiger," I murmured, turning back towards the tunnel. "Alright, now to see about-"

"ATTENTION!" Midnight's voice stopped me mid stride, and as one my classmates and I turned towards her perch on the central stage. "We will now announce the final results for the obstacle race! All competitors, please return to the central podium immediately."

' _Damn…'_ I strained my eyes towards the tunnel, and saw that Chi was still beckoning to me. All I could do was shrug helplessly at her. ' _Just stay put, I'll be there as soon as I can.'_ I silently called as I turned and trudged towards the stage.

When we were all gathered, Midnight flourished her flogger up towards the holographic display above her, the handcuffs on her wrists jangling softly.

"Thank you all for participating in the race," Midnight began, a soft smile tugging at the edges of her lips. "You all performed marvelously. Truth be told, I'm amazed that you were all able to maintain such an… _intense_ pace for so long."

Midnight smiled coyly as the audience erupted with hoots, waiting for the male spectators to calm down before continuing:

"Now, let's take a quick look at the standings, shall we?" Midnight turned and looked up as headshots of the top 42 finishers flashed onto the screen, one-by-one. I couldn't keep myself from grinning as my own picture came onto the screen right after Midoriya's. Not surprisingly, all of my classmates and most of the other kids from class 1-B made up the top 42 finishers. The crowd cheered for their favorites as they appeared on the screen, the rise and fall of their voices like the motion of the sea.

"Yes yes, very well done indeed," Midnight said as Aoyama, the 42nd finisher, appeared on the screen. "Unfortunately, only the top 42 competitors will be advancing to the next round." A wave of sound hit my ears as the other contenders groaned, cursed, or sighed with relief.

"But don't be too let down if you didn't make the cut," Midnight crooned, winking at a group of particularly disappointed students. "We've prepared other opportunities for you to shine."

"Now the real fun is about to begin," Midnight announced. "The chance to fully move yourself into the lime-light, so give it your best!"

"Let's see what we have in store next!" Midnight lifted her flogger and brought it down with a flourish, and as she did the screen above her began to spin and flash like a slot machine. Midnight monologued dramatically as the screen flashed and spun, but I was too focused on the screen to hear a word of it.

' _Okay...if they follow the pattern that they have in the past then this will most likely be the team event.'_ I thought. ' _But what's it going to be…?'_ I waited apprehensively for a few more moments as the screen spun faster than our eyes could follow. The screen stopped spinning suddenly with a chime and Midnight grinned as she read the words on display.

' _A...cavalry battle…?'_ I stared up at the hologram in confusion. I looked around and saw that the other competitors were all either nodding, groaning, or grinning. It seemed that I was the only one who had no clue as to what a cavalry battle was. Thankfully, my confusion didn't last very long.

"Allow me to explain," Midnight said, turning towards the hologram which now had a picture of Thirteen and Present Mic carrying All Might, their arms locked together making a perch for All Might to stand on. "You will break up into teams of 2 to 4 as you all see fit. In theory, it's basically the same as a regular playground game...but there is one difference."

I was half tempted to call up and ask for Midnight to slow down as my mind raced to figure out what the rules for the battle itself were. I still had no idea how we even played, or if the rider was allowed to fall or not. Half a dozen other concerns darted back and forth in my head, but I forced them to be quite as Midnight continued her explanation.

"Each player has been assigned a point value based on their results from the obstacle course," Midnight explained. A few of my classmates in the front murmured to each other for a moment, but Midnight put a stop to that with a sharp _crack!_ From her flogger and an angry roar.

"Now then," Midnight said, collecting herself. "The point assignments go up in increments of 5, starting from the bottom. For example, 42nd place is worth 5 points, 41st is worth 10 points." Midnight hesitated for a moment then, a predatory gleam in her eyes as she stared us all down. A wolfish grin tugged at her lips as she dropped the final bomb on us.

"And the point assignment for 1st place is… 10 MILLION!"

"..."

Complete silence.

Every pair of eyes suddenly landed on Midoriya as Midnight made her announcement. Nobody moved or breathed, and even the crowd waited with baited breath as we all waited to see Midoriya's reaction. Even from my position in the back of the crowd, I could hear Midoriya gulp loudly.

"10 million…?" He squeaked.

I involuntarily took a step back, instinctively putting distance between myself and Midoriya.

' _Man these heroes are cold customers.'_ I thought cheerlessly. They had just condemned Midoriya and anyone dumb enough to be on his team to death. It didn't take a super-charged brain like mine to come to the conclusion that Midoriya's team was done for. I could already see what was going to happen. All of the powerhouses (Bakugou, Todoroki, and whoever else in the other classes) would make their own teams from the strongest students, then they'd all fight for Midoriya's points. Midoriya didn't have a hope of putting together a decent team: his 1st place had seen to that. Those 10 million points painted a target the size of Jupiter on his back, and no one in their right mind would be willing to be on a team with him.

I felt bad for my green-haired classmate. Really, I did...but not enough to throw away my shot at winning by being on his team.

"Now all of you aspiring heroes can see that being number one has its drawbacks," Midnight purred. "All of the best pros have to fight tooth and nail not only to defeat evil when it rears its ugly head, but also to hold on to their spots at the top. So to all of you at the top, I wish you the best of luck. You will have 15 minutes to choose your teams, starting right now. I hope you choose wisely."

Midnight turned and made her way off the center stage as the screen above her abruptly turned into a timer counting down from 15 minutes. There was a brief moment of silence, then everyone began to mingle and call out to their friends and classmates to form teams.

' _Now's my chance.'_ I thought, turning and striding towards the tunnel that Chi was (hopefully) crouched in.

XXX

Bakugou sneered at the sniveling wannabe in front of him. The kid was small and a little chubby, with a head of thin white hair that was almost mousish in appearance. He had his hands clasped and was looking at Bakugou pleadingly with his pair of small, nervous black eyes.

"Please let me be on your team, I swear I can be helpful." Bakugou curled his lip, sizing the kid up again. The kid was practically vibrating he was shaking so badly, and he looked like he would burst into tears if Bakugou raised his voice too much. Bakugou could tell that this kid wasn't a fighter, and that was about as close to useless as you could get in a competition like this. Bakugou spat and glared at the kid.

"Get lost before I blow you up," He growled, a thin tendril of black smoke curling up from his palm. The kid squeaked and darted off.

"Hey come on man, you could have been a little nicer about that," Kirishima said putting his hand on Bakugou's shoulder. Bakugou shrugged Kirishima's hand off with a grunt.

"If that's all it took to get him to run off like a coward, then he has no business being on my team anyway."

"Maybe, but that doesn't mean you have to be so mea-"

"Shut up and let me think." Kirishima took a breath to retort, but just sighed and stepped back. Bakugou crouched and rubbed his mouth thoughtfully. Kirishima's quirk wasn't all that strong, not like _his_ , but it was useful enough for defense. Tape arms, Bakugou didn't care enough to remember his name, was also handy enough in case they needed to make a trap.

"One more…" Bakugou muttered, scanning the field. He had offense, defense, and traps covered, all he needed now was mobility. Bakugou had seen his classmate, engine-legs, talking to Todoroki so he was out. The guy with the crazy wings/tentacles could work too.

Bakugou didn't even consider the possibility that any of the kids from the other classes could be his fourth. They all hated him, which was fine by him anyway, he hated them too. They were just obstacles on his path to number one. And there hadn't been an obstacle yet that Bakugou couldn't just blow up.

Suddenly, Bakugou's eyes landed on a familiar head of brown hair. Bakugou allowed himself a small smile of satisfaction - which looked more like an angry scowl than an expression of happiness - and stood up. The kid may have beaten him in the obstacle race, a sin as unforgivable as murder in his eyes, but Bakugou couldn't deny that he was fast.

"Perfect," Bakugou said, walking towards Shiamasu.

XXX

"Thanks for being so cooperative, I'm glad you see it my way," Shinso chuckled, turning away from his glassy-eyed puppet. Shinso surveyed the crop of remaining students thoughtfully. It hadn't been very long, but it looked like most of the more powerful students had already made their teams and were strategizing.

Shinso fought the urge to chuckle as he watched them all. So far not a single one of them had come to him or even looked at him, which was fine by him. In fact, it was better than fine. That meant that they didn't know what his quirk was.

' _What fools.'_ Shinso thought, watching the hero course students coldly. ' _I wonder which one of their spots I'll take…'_

Shinso stopped and rubbed his tired eyes. He couldn't allow himself to think like that yet, not until he had made it to the final round at least. Some of these kids were genuinely powerful, and it wouldn't pay to get cocky. Besides, he still needed to get the last kid on his team.

As soon as Midnight had announced what the team event was going to be Shinso had known who he wanted. Even now it gave Shinso the chills to think about it, the way he had blown past everyone at simply inhuman speeds. And then to be able to fight two of his classmates at once at the end of the race like he did.

Shinso needed him on his team. Thankfully, his quirk made it rather difficult for people to say no to him.

"You two stay here, I'll be right back," Shinso ordered his two slaves, who simply stared at him mutely. Shinso thought about the kid's name as he pushed his way through the crowd, rolling it over his tongue and getting a feel for it in his teeth.

' _Shiamasu…'_

XXX

"Oh no, what are we going to do without Iida?" Uraraka said, looking at Midoriya worriedly.

"I'm not sure," Midoriya replied, a bead of nervous sweat trickling down his cheek. He had known that his classmates would probably say no if he asked any of them to be on his team, but it still stung that Iida had refused.

There was no time to dwell on it though, he needed to find someone else to take his place, and fast. Midoriya cast his gaze across the crowd, searching desperately for anyone who may be willing to be on his team.

After a moment he saw exactly who he needed, and he looked alone too.

"Uraraka, Hatsume, follow me," Midoriya said. "I know who we can ask."

XXX

"Hey man, want to be on our team?"

"Sorry, no thanks," I replied.

"Yo! Be on my team!"

"Maybe, ask me in a minute," I said.

"Don't you want to be on _my team?"_

"Are you allowed to have your shirt that low?" I asked, averting my eyes shyly. I pushed my way through the crowd, dodging my fellow competitors whenever they tried to get me on their teams. Usually they just walked away disappointed, but a few had actually forced him to explain why he didn't want to be on their teams.

' _Come on come on, get out of the way.'_ I thought, annoyed. Every time I was close to breaking free some new face blocked my path. It was enough to make me want to Boost up to level 3 just to get out of there. Suddenly, like a ray of sunshine breaking through the clouds on a rainy day, I could see a straight path out of the crowd.

' _Yes!'_ I thought.

"Hey, Shiamasu," A familiar insolent voice said.

' _No!'_

I turned, coming face to face with Bakugou. He had on his customary sneer and stood with his arms crossed.

"Hey there, Bakugou," I said. "What's up?" He scoffed.

"You know damn well what's up," he said. "Come on, you're on my team now." It wasn't a request, but it wasn't an order either. Bakugou said it with a voice casual arrogance that didn't allow any room for denial: he had said I was on his team in the same way that one would have said that the sun rises in the East or that water is wet. He was stating a fact.

I hated it.

"Sorry Bakugou, but no," I replied. "Maybe if you had asked nicely, but you don't own me. You can't just order me around." Bakugou's eyes narrowed dangerously and he clenched his fists.

"What the Hell did you just say to me…?" Bakugou asked, his voice low and threatening.

"Hey hey come on man, settle down," Another familiar voice said. Suddenly, Kirishima poked his head out from behind someone else nearby and put himself between Bakugou and I. He flashed me an apologetic smile before turning his attention to Bakugou.

"Bakugou chill, we'll never get him on our team if you try to blow him up." I stared at Kirishima, incredulous.

"Kirishima, you're on _his_ team?"

"Yeah of course!" Kirishima replied with a grin. "Bakugou may be a little rough around the edges, but he's definitely one of the strongest ones here."

"One of…?" Bakugou growled. Kirishima rolled his eyes, still grinning.

"Sorry, _the strongest,"_ Kirishima said. "Sero is on the team too. C'mon, join up! With you we'd be unstoppable, and those 10 million points would be ours!"

That gave me pause. I may have been able to refuse Bakugou alone, but with Kirishima and Sero on the team as well then we'd be a force to be reckoned with. Bakugou's arrogance and raw anger may have made my skin crawl, but being on his team would punch my ticket to the finals no problem.

' _This may very well be my best bet.'_ I came to a decision.

"You know what Bakugou, I changed my mind. I'll be on your te-"

"Shiamasu!" Bakugou looked over my shoulder and practically snarled with rage. Wisps of smoke snaked from his fingertips as he leered at Midoriya, who was jogging towards us with a desperate look in his eyes.

"Get the Hell out of here, Deku," Bakugou said. Midoriya blanched at the sight of Bakugou's viscous expression, but gulped and stood his ground.

"Shiamasu, please be on my team," Midoriya pleaded. "Uraraka and this other girl Mei Hatsume have already said yes, and with you I know that we can win. I already have a plan, but it will only work with your quirk. Please, say yes."

It hurt to look into Midoriya's eyes. He was so pure, so kind, and I really did want to say yes. I knew that he was a smart kid and one heck of a strategist, so in all likelihood he did have a good plan. But, my desire to win outweighed my friendship for him. As much as I preferred Midoriya to Bakugou in terms of personality, I knew that Bakugou was my best chance to advance.

"Sorry Midoriya, but I can't-"

"Pardon me, but could I talk to you for a second?" A new voice said as I felt a hand on my shoulder. Bakugou's face contorted in hate once again as I turned to look at whoever was trying to get my attention now.

He was taller than me, but slight. He had wild purple hair, kind of like Midoriya's. He had bags under his eyes, and a pinched and mean face. He had a friendly grin on, but the grin didn't reach his eyes.

"I was just wondering if you'd like to be on my team?" The newcomer said. I looked him up and down. I didn't recognize him, which meant that he was probably not a hero-course student. I didn't see any support gear either, which meant that he was most likely a general studies student. I had never seen him before, but obviously my classmates recognized him from somewhere based on the looks they were giving him that ranged from open hostility to discomfort. I didn't waste much time mulling his offer over.

"Sorry man, but no tha-" The kid's eyes flashed triumphantly for a moment, then I felt it. My voice died in my throat, and suddenly it felt as if I couldn't think clearly. A thick fog settled over my brain, and my muscles tensed and froze, locking me in place.

' _What the...can't think...what's happening?!'_ I managed to think, panic setting in. I wanted to move, to speak, to get someone's attention. But more than anything, I wanted to say yes to this kid. The urge to agree to his request, which had seemed so ridiculous only a moment ago, suddenly seemed irresistible. How could I say no?

The urge to say yes was so strong that it almost felt like it wasn't my own. It was as if there was someone in my head with a bullhorn, screaming at me that I had to agree to his request. I had to say yes...I had to…

' _You have to say yessss…'_ A voice in my head hissed. That's when it hit me.

"Buh-buh-buh" I stammered, raising my head to his with a monumental effort. "Brain...cuh-cuh-con...control." The kid's eyes flashed with disbelief, then anger. The effort it took just to say those two words left me completely drained, and I screwed my eyes shut and squeezed my temples with my fists, desperately trying to shut out the kid's quirk. I fought with everything I had, throwing up as many mental fortifications as I could against his mind control.

But it was no use. I could feel my defenses crumbling. His quirk was just too strong.

"Hey Shiamasu, snap out of it," I heard Kirishima say, his voice faint as if he was miles away. Suddenly, I felt someone nudge me, and the kid's hold on me vanished. I gasped and fell to my knees, choking and coughing violently.

"Woah, Shiamasu! Are you okay?" Midoriya and Kirishima both knelt beside me, concern plain on their faces. But I didn't care about them. I raised my head and blinked back tears, looking up at the kid. He looked down on me for a moment, disbelief and anger in his eyes, before turning and stalking away.

"Who...who was that…?" I asked as I watched him go.

"His name is Shinso, he's from General Studies," Midoriya replied.

"The day you were absent a few weeks ago he made this big show of declaring war on all of us hero-course students." Kirishima added. "Said all this stuff about how we didn't deserve our spots, and that he was going to beat us all and take one of our spots in the Hero course."

I didn't reply immediately.

' _That kid, Shinso,...his quirk is brain control.'_ I was sure of it. ' _Right now I'm at level 2 because I never cycled down from the obstacle race. That must be what saved me. Or, at the very least, it's what made me able to resist him for so long.'_

He may not have looked powerful, but with a quirk like that he would be nigh-unstoppable. No one would be able to fight against a quirk like his.

"5 more minutes to pick your teams!" Midnight's voice rang out, snapping me out of me inner monologue. I swore under my breath.

' _Chi!'_ I climbed to my feet, shrugging off Kirishima's and Midoriya's hands. "I'm sorry guys, but I can't be on either of your teams. I wish you both the best of luck." I hustled away before they had a chance to argue, running towards the tunnel.

I crossed the field in seconds and made my way into the gloom of the cement tunnel that led into the bowels of the stadium.

"Chi!" I whispered, peering into the gloom.

"Not so loud, idiot!" A familiar voice replied. "You want me to get caught that badly?" I grinned as Chi stepped out from the shadows, wearing her classic all white outfit. Then I remembered that she was trespassing and probably in serious trouble, and the grin flew off my face.

"I'm the idiot?" I asked. "Look who's talking! What are you doing here?! This is a students and staff area only, you could be arrested or worse if you get caught down here! Are you insane?!"

"Gee, nice to see you too Speedy," Chi replied, slinging a backpack off her shoulder. I looked at her in shock as she began to calmly root through the bag.

"What do you think you're doing?!" I all but screamed at her. "Get out of here! Right now!"

"Relax, I haven't been caught yet. Ah, here it is!"

"Chi I swear to God if you don't turn around and run out of here right now-"

"Oh put a sock in it," Chi cut me off, tossing me a grey metal bottle. "That's for you."

I looked at Chi and unscrewed the lid, sniffing the inside of the bottle. My eyes widened.

"Chi, you know I can't accept this. It's basically cheating. No, it IS cheating."

"Wrong, smart one," Chi replied. "I read the rules for this thing last night. There are no rules against using passive support items such as this. Weapons, performance-enhancing drugs, and certain support gear is all banned, but there is nothing against items like my spit. Therefore, it's fair game."

"...that may be, but I still need permission to use this," I countered. Chi rolled her eyes.

"Do you want to win this thing or not?"

"Of course I do!"

"Then why are you arguing?! You need that stuff, otherwise you'll just burnout out after Boosting too high. I've read up on your classmates too, there's no way that you'll be able to get away with only Boosting to level 2 or 3."

"What, you don't think I can win on my own?" I said, narrowing my eyes.

"That isn't what I meant and you know it."

"Really? Because that sure seems like what you said to me."

"Stop being so obstinate and take the damn bottle, Speedy. I risked a lot just bringing it here."

"That was your choice, I never asked for your help."

"Shiamasu!" Chi's voice cracked through the tunnel like a whip, completely shutting me up. The blue-haired girl stared at me furiously for a moment, then punched me in the arm.

"Ow…" I muttered.

"Just take the bottle before I punch you again," Chi said.

"..."

"Please...just do it for me…" Chi said, her voice softening. "This isn't all about you, you know. I worked hard just to get you here too. Your wins are my wins too. So are your losses. And I don't know about you, but I hate losing, so get out there and win for us."

I looked into Chi's eyes, and I knew that I was powerless against her. I sighed heavily and screwed the lid back on the bottle, turning to leave.

"You had better get out of here before they find you," I said.

"Yeah, you're probably right." Chi said. She slung the bag over her shoulder and turned back into the shadows.

"Chi." She froze, then turned back around. I smiled at her.

"Thank you." Chi stiffened, then hurriedly turned her face away from mine.

"Get out of here and win this thing." She murmured. I nodded and sprinted out of the tunnel back into the bright afternoon light.

XXX

"Hey. I changed my mind, I want to join up with you."

Shinso looked at me with a look that was equal parts disdain and disbelief. He pushed his purple hair back off his forehead. He took a breath.

"Don't say a word," I ordered. "I know that your quirk revolves around me answering back to you after you talk, so I'm going to do the talking here. If you say anything, then I'll just walk away."

Shinso glared at me for a moment, then nodded stiffly.

"Look, I won't play games with you so don't you play games with me." I said, doing my best to exude an aura of self-assured confidence. "I know your quirk is brain control, so I know that you probably have the best shot at winning this cavalry battle. I also know that my quirk is the only one that can counter yours, so I'm safe. I also also know that you kept your quirk a secret from everyone, so I'm the only one who knows what it is and how it works. If you try to use your quirk on me again, then I'll just walk away and tell everyone all about it. If you say no, then I'll walk away and tell everyone all about it. If you say yes, then I won't say a word to anyone and we'll both get what we want. Sound fair?"

"...Fine…" Shinso grunted. "I don't really have much of a choice anyway, do I?"

"Not really, no," I replied, holding my breath. I stood stock still for a few second, but when I didn't feel an alien presence in my mind I relaxed. Shinso turned and tapped one of his "teammates" on the shoulder, a small mousy-looking kid. The kid gasped and blinked furiously, the light returning to his eyes.

"Beat it, kid." Shinso said. The kid looked at Shinso for a moment then walked away, rubbing his temples and looking completely confused. We watched him go, then turned and faced each other.

"So, looks like we're teammates for the time being," I said.

"Looks like it," Shinso replied. We stared at each other for a long moment, then, as one, we reached forward and clasped hands. It wasn't a gesture of friendship or reconciliation: it was a business arrangement. Nothing more, nothing less.

"Let's win this," I said. Shinso nodded.

"Sounds like a plan to me."

 **Hey guys! I'm really, really, really sorry for the abominably long wait, I wish I had any kind of excuse for it other than sheer busyness and a dash of laziness, but I don't. School has just been a huge pain, and I recently started working on my first official, original novel, so I haven't had a lot of time for Boosted. I'm so sorry, and I'll try to do better from now on. Let's get on to the reviews, shall we?**

 **Zerom1v: Yeah, Midoriya and Kokuree really pulled out all the stops on that race, I don't think I'd be willing to blow myself up like they did. Crazy fools lmao.**

 **Griffin Fath: Hey there! I'm really really sorry about the long wait, I promise I'll be better with updates from now on. Thanks for your support!**

 **Thanks to everyone who read this chapter, and thanks to everyone who has shown support for Boosted from the beginning. You all are amazing, and I don't think Boosted would be where it is today without all of you. Please feel free to message me if you have any ideas or requests for the story, my inbox is always open. To all of you wonderful people who are new to the story, welcome! If you liked it, please let me know by following or favoriting the story! Also, please feel free to leave a review with any criticisms, thoughts, questions, or praise that you may have. Thanks again, and I'll see you all on the flipside.**


	20. Sports Festival pt 4: The Cavalry Battle

The teams were made. The stage was set. The fans were on their feet cheering for their favorites, while the pro heroes in the crowd talked amongst themselves about the hero-course students.

The hot midday sun was beating down, and I blinked a bead of sweat from my eyes as I stared down the other competitors. There were 12 teams arrayed around the huge rectangle of concrete that was our "arena". They each stood in various stages of preparedness, some murmuring to each other and others staring solemnly around. I shifted my feet, trying to find my footing with the unfamiliar weight of Shinso on my back. I grunted in annoyance as he suddenly knocked on the top of my head.

"At our 3 o'clock is your friend with the split haircut, you see him?" Shinso asked.

"Yeah, I see him," I said, scowling. ' _But he's no friend of mine.'_

Todoroki's team was one of the ones that we needed to avoid at all costs. In the lead was Iida, and Kaminari and Yaoyorozu were on either side. Yaoyorozu had made two sets of roller skates for herself and Kaminari so that they could let Iida drag them along without slowing him down. While Yaoyorozu's creation quirk was certainly flashy and dangerous in its own right, it was really Kaminari that we had to be wary of. His indiscriminate shock would completely immobolize us if we got too close, and I had no doubt that Yaoyorozu could create some kind of insulator for the rest of their team with her quirk. Although, I wouldn't have been so worried if it wasn't for Iida…

I pursed my lips. I hadn't been expecting Iida to side with Todoroki, especially not after his confrontation with Midoriya earlier. From a purely logical standpoint, it made sense to side with the strongest competitor he could, but I still hadn't though that Iida had it in him to leave his friend to the wolves like that.

"All the way across the field, in the far left corner, there's the mouthy kid with the explosive quirk," Shinso said, once again pointing out who we needed to be cautious of. I nodded. Bakugou's team was the other one that we had to avoid. I had to hand it to Shinso, he had done his homework on my classmates. He knew who the powerhouses were and gave knew to give them a wide berth.

Bakugo was on top (as if he'd ever carry anyone else). Kirishima was in the front to provide defense. Ashido and Sero were on either side of Bakugou. They probably wouldn't be very fast, but in terms of raw combat ability they would be extremely dangerous. If we got too close then Sero could use his tape to trap us, Ashido could throw her acid at us, or Bakugou could blow us away.

Kirishima was another hard pill to swallow. I would have preferred to team up with him rather than Shinso - or really anyone else for that matter - since we were friends and had experience fighting together. It stung that he had chosen to team up with Bakugou, but Kirishima had always been friendly with Bakugou, and Bakugou was as close to civil as he ever was with Kirishima.

I shook my head. I couldn't let myself be distracted by who had chosen to be on who's team and why.

"You ready, Shinso?" I asked, cracking my neck.

"Yeah," He replied in his usual monotone.

"You remember what I told you?"

"Wow you hero wannabes really have no faith in the rest of us, do you?" Shinso said. "You said: hang on for dear life and keep my head down and braced at all times."

"Good." I said, shifting Shinso up an inch. "Try not to talk or open your mouth too much either."

"And why is that? Don't want the general studies kid to give you orders, Mr. Big-shot hero?" Shinso sneered.

"No," I answered, sinking into a runner's stance. "We're going to be moving 80 miles per hour. If I get jostled and you're talk too much then there's a good chance that you'll bite your tongue off."

Shinso gulped loudly.

"Don't worry," I said. "When we go on the attack I'll slow down so that won't happen. Can't have you losing your tongue before you can use that quirk of yours-"

"Keep it down!" Shinso whispered savagely, his voice uncharacteristically biting. "My quirk is no good to either of us if you go blabbing it to everyone!"

I grit my teeth, annoyed. I knew he was right, and it pissed me off. I couldn't afford to be so careless, not against these kids. The obstacle race should have been a sure thing for me, but I let my guard down and it nearly cost me the race. I wouldn't be making that mistake again.

"Sorry," I said. "My mistake." I felt Shinso stiffen, as if in surprise.

"Yeah well...at least you know enough to admit your mistake," Shinso muttered. I rolled my eyes. It was going to be a long 15 minutes.

A sudden hush fell over the crowd as the jumbotrons that hung over our heads suddenly flickered to life, reading:

[ON YOUR MARKS]

"OKAY ALL YOU FIRST YEARS, I HOPE YOU'RE HAPPY WITH YOUR CHOSEN TEAMS," Present Mic boomed. I gulped and bent my knees experimentally.

"Ready?" I asked.

"I've been ready to take you wannabe heroes down since the moment I got into this school," Shinso replied.

"That's the spirit…" I sighed.

"LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED! ONE FINAL COUNTDOWN BEFORE THE GAME STARTS!"

I breathed in, concentrating on the flow of air as my lungs expanded and contracted as I exhaled. We had the plan. We had the quirks. It was time to take control of the games. I sank into my starting stance.

"3…!"

"Hold on tight!" I said. Shinso's grip on my shoulders tightened.

"...2…!"

"Boost: Level 2!" My power surged through my body and I felt my skin tingle with energy as my quirk activated.

"...1…!"

' _Here we go…'_

"Begin!" Midnight cried, whipping her flogger down with a snap. And with that, the cavalry battle was underway.

The first few seconds of the battle were rather anticlimactic, considering that this was a competition between heroes (in-training). There were no battlecries, no flashy displays of power, no dramatic orchestral piece. Just the rhythmic pounding of our feet on the pavement and the garbled roars of the crowd.

"Alright, let's go!" I said, lifting my foot off the ground.

"Hold it!" Shinso said, yanking on my shirt like a pair of reigns. "There's no need to do anything. Look, everyone is concerned with the 10 million point team right now. No one has even spared us a parting glance. Let's just hang back, save our strength, and let the other teams wear themselves down. It'll make our attack easier if they're all too tired to fight back.

I didn't like it, but Shinso's strategy was sound. It wouldn't earn me any points with the heroes who were watching, but at least it would get me to the next round.

"Fine then," I said, leaning back onto my heels. "We wait and watch."

Just as Shinso said, the opening minute of the game was nothing but a mad dash for Midoriya's team. Everyone figured that they had to at least make an effort for his points, so all of the other teams swarmed his team at once. I saw Midoriya swing his arm and cry out an order to his team, but then they were swallowed up by the crowd of competitors and I couldn't see them.

"Hmph. That didn't take very long," Shinso grunted.

"Well it wasn't exactly a fair figh-" Suddenly, Midoriya's team flew above the other competitors, propelled through the air by some kind of jetpack strapped to Midoriya's back. I couldn't help but grin a little when I saw that Midoriya's headband was still planted firmly on his forehead.

"Looks like you spoke too soon, Shinso," I said. Shinso didn't reply. I turned my eyes back to the field and saw that most of the teams were starting to spread out and move away from Midoriya, worrying more about protecting their own points than going after his.

I narrowed my eyes as a few teams began to glance our way, eyeing us with a combination of curiosity and predatorial interest.

"Looks like we've been spotted," I said as a few teams began to turn in our direction.

"Hold your ground," Shinso replied. "No need to worry until someone makes a move." Suddenly, I heard an animal-like grunt and I whirled around towards our 9 0'clock.

"It may be time to worry!" I cried. A duo was fast approaching, intent on snagging our points. The runner was on the bigger side, built and hairy like a gorilla with a pair of thick glasses on his face. His arms were covered in coarse brown hair, and the same thick brown hair covered almost every inch of his head and face. Oddly enough, he ran on all-fours like an ape while his partner straddled his torso. His partner was a small guy with black hair pulled back into a small braid. Green scales glittered on his arms.

"Stay on target, Shishida!" The scaled kid yelled with a grin. "Let's snag that headband!" The gorilla guy grunted and accelerated, his hands and feet slapping against the pavement.

"Shinso?!"

"Don't wait for me to tell you, run!" Shinso yelled. I didn't need to be told twice. I took a few slow steps to the left, then exploded out to the right. The faint worked. The kid named Shishida adjusted his course for when I moved to the left, and was completely caught by surprise when I suddenly stopped on a dime and changed direction. He tried to change direction and match my speed, but he couldn't pull it off and him and his partner went tumbling out of bounds behind us.

"Woah! Nice mov-" There was a loud clack and a grunt of pain as Shinso's teeth slammed together. I warned him.I didn't slow down or stop to worry about him, I was too busy concentrating on getting to the other side of the arena without attracting the attention of any of the other teams. I sped across the middle, zigzagging back and forth to avoid the other teams.

Suddenly, there was a panicked grunt from Shinso and I felt his grip on my shirt loosen as he started to slide backwards down my back.

' _Damn!'_ I planted my feet and skid, holding onto him as hard as I could to keep him from falling to the pavement. I grunted with the strain and struggled to keep from falling backwards as Shinso wrapped his legs around my torso. Shinso swore as he finally stopped when he was parallel to the ground.

"Pull me up!" He yelled.

"I'm trying!" I snapped, leaning forward. With a grunt of effort, Shinso crunched up so that he could reach my shirt and grabbed on, pulling himself back up.

"That was close-" I began.

"Behind us!" Shinso cried. I darted forward just as a massive hand slammed down into the pavement where we had been standing a fraction of a second before. I whirled around and saw one of the class 1-B teams staring us down. The hand came from the girl on top of the team, and as I watched it shrunk back to normal size. I recognized her as the class rep of 1-B, a girl named Kendo.

"Hey there," She said, grinning at us. "If you don't mind, we'll be taking those points now."

"Not a chanc-" I said.

"On our left!" Shinso warned me again. I leapt back as a wave of pale goo surged past us. I turned my head and saw another 1-B team bearing down on us, led by a behemoth who's head looked like a jar of glue. A cold bead of sweat trickled down my face.

"We're cornered," I said, backing up slowly. "Maybe it's time to use your quirk."

"No, it's too soon," Shinso replied. "If I use it now then they'll be aware of it later on in the competition."

"If you don't use it now, then there might not _be_ a later on in the competition!" I countered.

"If you two are done arguing, we'd like to take that headband of yours," Kendo said.

"I'd like to see you try it, you B-lister!" I yelled. ' _Wow, Bakugou is really rubbing off on me…'_

Kendo scowled and her team began to jog towards us, the other B-team following them. I looked desperately for an opening, but didn't see one.

"Crap!" I bent my knees and sank into my stance. "Hold on tight Shinso, I'm going to try to blow right by these guys." I licked my lips apprehensively. If I boosted any higher there was no guarantee that Shinso would be able to hang on. But if I didn't, we were toast. I had to take the risk and hope for the best.

"Boos-"

There was a sudden screech of pain from one of Kendo's teammates and they collapsed, clutching their ears.

"What!" Kendo exclaimed. As her team turned around, I saw Jiro's headphone jack ears whip back towards Kendo as my classmates rushed into the fray.

"Those points are ours!" Jiro yelled as her team charged forward with a battlecry. I grinned with relief.

"Let's get out of here!" Shinso said. I nodded and sped off while Jiro distracted the two 1-B teams.

As soon as we got to the other side I skid to a stop and turned back to face the rest of the field.

"Damn!" Shinso exclaimed, trying to smooth his windblown hair. "Must be nice to be so fast, your quirk really makes it easy for you, huh?"

"Yeah, it isn't as great as you might think," I replied, checking the field. All of my classmates seemed intent to ignore us, worrying more about Midoriya's points and other teams. Besides, they all knew that trying to chase me would be futile. The only other teams that were interested in us were the class 1-B kids, and even they seemed disinterested after watching my dash across the arena at over 80 miles an hour.

Still, there were a few teams that were eyeing us. We couldn't afford to let our guard down.

"NOW THAT 7 MINUTES HAVE GONE BY LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE STANDINGS!" Present Mic suddenly boomed.

"Wow, has it really been 7 minutes already?" I murmured.

"Focus on the other teams," Shinso said. "I'll take a peek at the scoreboard."

"Fine," I replied. I felt Shinso shift his weight as he leaned back to see the jumbotron. He was silent for a moment, then he began to shudder violently.

"Woah, Shinso? You alright?" I asked, stumbling a step as I tried to keep him balanced on my back.

"Oh, I'm fine! No, I'm better than fine!" Shinso replied. That's when I realized why Shinso was shaking: he was laughing.

"HOLD ON HERE...THIS IS AN UNEXPECTED TURN," Present Mic said, his voice uncharacteristically monotone. "BESIDES MIDORIYA, CLASS 1-A ISN'T DOING SO HOT."

"What?" I exclaimed, sneaking a peak at the standings. My eyes widened in shock as I scanned the standings.

Midoriya still had his points, and was in the lead by a landslide. But other than him, the only other 1-A kids who had any points left were Todoroki's team and me. All of my other classmates were sitting in last place with 0 points.

"Even Bakugou…" I whispered in shock. As of the standings at that moment, the only 1-A kids who were going to advance were Midoriya, Tokoyami, and Uraraka. The other three teams were all kids from 1-B. Team Kendo. Team Tetsutetsu. Team Monoma.

"How's that taste, hero?" Shinso asked, chuckling darkly. "Looks like you 1-A kids aren't all that after all. I should have known this would happen. I didn't need to worry about beating you all, you're going to beat yourselves!"

' _Beat ourselves? What is he talking abo-'_ That's when it hit me. I glanced at the scoreboard, then looked at the field. But instead of just checking my immediate surroundings, I really looked and made note of every team's position in the arena. The movements of our opponents, that at first seemed random, now had a clear pattern.

"Of course…" I said. "The 1-B kids are working together…"

"Give the wannabe a prize," Shinso said sarcastically. "They probably figured that they'd lose in a head-to-head competition like this, so they chose amongst themselves who had the best shot at winning in the next round and divided their teams accordingly."

"So the other 1-B kids are providing support and running interference for the top 3 teams, ensuring that they move on to the next round," I said, putting the pieces of class 1-B's strategy together. "But what about the other 1-B kids? They can't be satisfied with just throwing themselves from the competition like this!"

Shinso scoffed.

"You 1-A kids really are something, aren't you? You all think that it's all about winning. About being the best. You all think that if you aren't winning then you're losing, and if you're losing that you're a failure. You all are so focused on getting to the top that you're forgetting how to work together. Instead of banding together to ensure the success of a few, like the 1-B kids, you all are fighting for the top spot as individual units, and you're weakening yourselves overall by doing that. It's childish really."

I swore under my breath. Shinso was completely right. We had screwed ourselves. My classmates and I were so focused on our own survival that we had failed to see the big picture, and we were paying for it now.

"Well, I wouldn't be so cocky if I were you," I said. "Laugh all you want about my classmates, but we're still sitting at only 285 points. If we want any shot of moving on, we need to make a play for one of the 1-B teams. Fast."

"Don't worry, I've already got it worked out," Shinso assured me. "In another minute or so we're going to beeline for the 3rd place team and take their points." I shot a look at the scoreboard.

"Team Tetsutetsu."

"Bingo."

"Why them? What makes you think they'll fall for your trick?"

"Hmph. Yet another example of 1-A's heroic arrogance. Tell me, did you do any scouting on your opponents prior to the games?"

"Hey come on, enough!" I snapped. "Why do you keep doing that? It's all arrogance this and wannabe that with you! Why do you hate us so much?! It's like you're a villain or something."

"Wouldn't you like to know," Shinso replied. "Now answer the question."

"Of course I did!" I protested. "I know all of the quirks for that team, so I know how hard it's going to be for just us two to try to take their points from them. They all have strong quirks that make them good fighters, especially that girl with the vines for hair."

"Well at least you aren't completely thickheaded," Shinso said. "But what about their personalities? Did you learn anything about that?"

"...No, I didn't think of that," I growled, annoyed. If I had been able to prepare for the games properly, I'm sure that I would have remembered to make complete profiles for everyone, but thanks to my constant studying with Chi I had completely forgotten to.

"Of course you didn't," Shinso said. "Let me fill you in. That guy Tetsutetsu is just like your classmate Bakugou. He's a tough and a good fighter, but he's completely bull-headed and prone to fly off the handle at any given time. It'll be easy for us to provoke him into talking so that I can use my quirk on him. Once we have his points, we'll make a quick getaway thanks to your speed."

"I see," I said. It was a simple plan, but well thought out. Shinso had planned for this, and knew exactly who he could target with his quirk. "It's a good plan, Shinso."

"You're right, it is."

"But we shouldn't stick around here talking about it for much longer," I said, eyeing the clock. "There isn't much time left."

"Well then what are you waiting for?" Shinso asked. "Get after them."

"With pleasure!" I tightened my grip on Shinso's legs, then darted off towards our quarry. I scanned the arena as I ran, searching for Tetsutetsu. A huge wall of ice surrounded one area of the arena, and several other teams were frozen to the ground as well. Their points were tempting, but we had a good plan and there was no reason to deviate from it.

On the other side of the arena was Bakugou's team. They were chasing down the 2nd place team, and even at that distance I could see the murderous fire in Bakugou's eyes and the hate in his snarl. I gave them a wide berth.

Finally, I spotted him. Tetsutetsu and his team were sitting back in the corner, apparently waiting for the clock to run out. They braced themselves when they saw us headed their way, then they tried to run off as we got closer.

I changed course and blocked their path with ease, much to Tetsutetsu's annoyance.

"Hey, get the Hell out of our way!" Tetsutetsu roared, baring his razor sharp teeth at us. I rolled my eyes. This would be easier than I thought.

"Ready Shinso?" I asked, jogging closer.

"Ready." I heard Shinso take a huge breath. I grinned, eager to hear what kind of clever and sarcastic remark Shinso would use to trick Tetsutetsu.

I balked in horror as Shinso suddenly let fly a stream of profanities and insults at the other team. The other team looked as stunned as I felt, and I cringed as Shinso kept up his merciless barrage. He insulted them every way to Sunday, from their heritage to their size to their quirks to their intelligence and on and on and on. I prayed that UA didn't have any microphones around the arena, because the stuff that Shinso was saying would have certainly gotten us thrown out of the games. Really, just nasty stuff.

Just as I thought my ears would simply melt off my head, Shinso stopped his attack. Team Tetsutetsu looked at us in stunned silence for a few moments, none of them saying a word.

"I think you went a bit overboard…" I whispered. Suddenly, Tetsutetsu screwed up his face in a mask of rage.

"Why you-!" In a fraction of a second, every member of Tetsutetsu's team was yelling at us. I braced myself against the mental assault, but suddenly there was silence. Team Tetsutetsu was frozen, all of them staring at us with expressions of slack-jawed emptiness. Their eyes were glassy and blank, and none of them moved so much as a finger.

"Got 'em," Shinso said triumphantly. "Bring me closer, Shiamasu." I obliged. Shinso cleared his throat, then addressed his slaves with a commanding voice.

"Tetsutetsu, take off all of your headbands and give them to me," Shinso ordered. Tetsutetsu, completely under the influence of Shinso's quirk, reached up and removed his headbands. Shinso reached out his hand, and Tetsutetsu gave them to him.

"Thank you very much," Shinso said. "Now, all of you sit down and play patty-cake until the end of the cavalry battle." I snorted as Shinso tied the headbands to his head.

"Don't you think that's a little much?" I asked as the former 3rd place team sat in a circle and began to clap their hands together in rhythm.

"Not at all," Shinso replied. "They're getting what they deserve. Now come on, let's get out of here." I spared one more glance at the mindless slaves at my feet, then turned and jogged away.

"Hey, take a look at the scoreboard," Shinso said. I looked up and felt a surge of pride when I saw that we were now in 3rd. But, that was quickly followed by an icy jolt when I saw the rest of the standings. Midoriya's team now had only 70 points, and Todoroki's team had suddenly jumped forward by 10 million.

' _They got him…'_ I scowled towards the wall of ice. I wanted to help Midoriya get his points back, just like class 1-B was doing, but there was nothing I could do. That ice wall was too steep for me to climb with Shinso on my back, and there wasn't enough time for me to do anything anyway.

Even as I stepped towards the ice wall, Present Mic and the rest of the audience began to count down the final 10 seconds of the games. I kept my eyes glued on the scoreboard as the final seconds of the game trickled away.

"Come on Midoriya…" I whispered. "You can do it…" Shinso was saying something to me, but I wasn't listening. All of my attention was focused on the scoreboard, waiting and hoping that it would change. It couldn't end like this for Midoriya. He couldn't lose to Todoroki yet, not after their confrontation earlier.

"...3…!" No change. There was a sudden blast and a plume of black smoke as Bakugou blasted his way through the ice wall.

' _Come on…'_

"...2…!" Still nothing.

' _Come on Midoriya…"_

"...1…!" The scoreboard didn't change.

' _COME ON MIDORIYA!'_

"...TIME'S UP!" There! Just as Present Mic began to call it, the scoreboard flickered to life.

"Yes!" I roared. Just as time ran out, Midoriya's points leapt up by 615 points, putting him in 4th place. The crowd erupted into cheers at the last second change in score, thrilled to see that the winner of the obstacle race would be advancing.

"Well well well…" Shinso murmured as he climbed down from my back. "It looks like that kid is full of surprises."

"He really is," I said with a laugh. "He really had me worried there. I didn't think he was going to be able to pull that off." Shinso harrumphed and put his hands on his hips, leaning back to take in the scoreboard.

"3rd place huh," He said. "Not too bad."

"At least we get to move on," I said, clapping Shinso on the shoulder. He shrugged me off.

"Don't forget, you're moving on because of me," Shinso said, turning back towards me with an intense look in his eyes. "If we face each other in one of the fights then there really isn't much I can do to stop you. But if not, then I hope you'll keep your word and not tell my opponent about my quirk." I frowned.

"I won't," I replied, returning Shinso's intensity with some of my own. Shinso and I stared each other down for a moment, our glares an embodiment of our wills. As I looked into Shinso's eyes, our wills roaring and straining against each other, I suddenly felt something click in the back of my mind. It was as if I could suddenly look past Shinso's purple irises, and delve deeper into his soul. All at once I could see who he really was, and why he hated all of the hero-course students with such a burning intensity.

It wasn't villainous hatred that drove him to destroy us, nor was it a desire to "put us in our place". Shinso's drive came from a sad, bitter envy. It must have been unbearable for Shinso, wanting so badly to be a hero and yet possessing a non-heroic quirk. The unfairness of it all must have been staggering for him - to have such a powerful quirk that was at the same time completely useless for the U.A. entrance exam. For years he had to stand on the sidelines and watch as kids with flashy powers were put on pedestals, and when his time finally came for U.A. he was knocked back down again.

He didn't hate us...he wanted to be one of us.

"Tch." Shinso narrowed his eyes and pushed past me, making way towards the general studies ready-room. I couldn't let him walk away like this, now that I finally understood what was driving him. I couldn't allow his hate to fester.

"Hey, Shinso!" I called after him. He stopped and turned to face me with a scowl.

"Good luck in the next round," I said, raising my hand in a gesture that I hoped conveyed my sincerity. He stared at my hand, then turned back again.

' _Crap it didn't work.'_ I thought, clenching my fist.

"Shinso!" I called again. He sighed, but didn't turn back around.

"What now?"

"I just wanted to say," I began. "If we have to fight in the next round...I won't hold back."

Shinso stopped, then slowly turned back around.

"You may not have a strong physical quirk like mine, but you're just as powerful as any one of us in the hero-course," I said. "So no matter what, I'll do my best to defeat you. Because I would never hold back against an equal."

He did a good job of hiding it, but I knew that what I said really hit Shinso. It wasn't much, just a flicker of surprise that was gone in an instant, but in that moment I knew that no one had ever said something like that to him before. Shinso narrowed his eyes and grinned.

"Good, I was hoping that you wouldn't," He replied. "It'll make it that much sweeter when I beat you, you hero wannabe."

"Hey, go easy on the wannabe stuff," I said. "After all, you could be a hero too." This time Shinso didn't just grin. His mouth split wide and he smiled from ear to ear, beaming. He raised his hand.

"I look forward to it," He said, turning to leave. "Thanks again for your help...partner." I smiled at his back.

"See ya later, partner."

 **Hey guys! *Gets hit with a rotten tomato***

 **Yeah I guess I deserve that. I know, it's been way too long since and update and you all are pissed at me. But put down the pitchforks, I'm back now. All of my college obligations have been taken care of and now I have the rest of my senior year to kick back and do what I want to do, which is write for you guys. If you all are fed up with me and decide to leave Boosted, I completely understand. I know that I haven't been consistent with you guys after all of the amazing support you've given me, so I understand if you want to devote your energy to other writers and other stories. I just hope that I'll be able to win you back. Now, as usual, the reviews:**

 **Lord Terronus: Hey there my friend! You always leave the best reviews, although I am entirely undeserving of all of your praise. I'm thrilled that you liked the last chapter even though it was really dialogue-heavy and geared more towards setting up this chapter than anything. Can't wait to hear that ship name for Chi and Kokuree! Plus Ultra to you!**

 **UltimateFan-girl15: Thank you, I'm glad you like it! I hope the rest of Boosted is as enjoyable!**

 **Zerom1v: Another familiar face on Boosted, thank you for continuing to show your support for the story! Please forgive me for taking so long to update, I'll be better from now on.**

 **AnahitaM: I messaged you already, but yes Kokuree is a guy.**

 **Guest: Yeah I deserve that…**

 **Thank you all for continuing to show your support for Boosted! It means so so so much to me that you all have read and continue to read my piss-poor writing. Please never hesitate to leave a review or message me if you have any ideas or feedback for me. And, if I'm taking too long to update then feel free to send me a message and curse me out for making you wait. I hope that this chapter was satisfactory, and I hope that any newcomers to the story follow/favorite the story if they liked it enough. That's all I got for now, see you all on the flipside.**


	21. Sports Festival pt 5: The Finals

Outside of the stadium that housed the 1st years' competition was a sea of ecstatic Sports Festival goers. Laughter, excited chatter, enthusiastic greetings, squeals of awe, and other sounds mingled and filled the air with a happy symphony. Everywhere you looked, people were smiling and laughing, enjoying the festivities. Enthusiastic children dragged their grinning parents through the throng, trying to catch a glimpse of one of the pro heroes on security or looking for a kiosk that still had an All Might mask to sell. Couples walked hand in hand between the stalls or sat underneath umbrellas sharing lunch. The people running the stalls were loudly (but not obnoxiously) advertising their wares, smiling and winking at passerby as they waved UA apparel, masks, novelty fans, water bottles, bookbags, cushions, and other Sports Festival knick-knacks. If one took a moment to raise their nose and take in the smells, their nostrils would be filled with the delightful scents of ice-cold drinks, warm-pastries, cooking food, cotton-candy and more all mixing together in one great big aromatic buffet.

The security had definitely been tightened ever since the attack on the USJ; that much could be seen from the abundance of security guards and pro heroes seen wandering through the maze of stalls and sitting areas set up outside the stadium. However, the orange-belted, nightstick- carrying security guards who had taken their jobs seriously for the first few hours of the festival had quickly been caught up in the excitement of the occasion and had all slacked into various states of relaxation. Some still made the effort to walk around with the pros and look intimidating, but by lunch most of them slipped away and were enjoying the festivities. Even the pro heroes themselves couldn't help but let their guard down amongst all of the excitement and thrill of the festival. They stood in groups talking, watching the competitions play out on the big screens, giving out autographs, or enjoying the food and drinks that were being sold.

It was a perfect day, and so far the festival had gone without a hitch. No security breaches, false alarms, or crazed fans that needed to be escorted off the premises. Everyone was happy, relaxed, and most importantly...at ease.

Little did they know: a predator stalked in their midst.

He followed the flow of the crowd, walking casually through the throng as it weaved around the festival grounds, his hands stuffed into his pockets. He was dressed plainly in a grey t-shirt and black pants with a colorful U.A. backpack on his shoulders. His face and hair were completely covered by a huge grinning All Might mask. The mask may have raised some questions in any other setting, but at the Sports Festival he fit in perfectly, and even jumped into a group picture with a gaggle of other festival goers wearing the same mask as him.

Under the mask, the teen licked his lips. It was taking everything he had not to kill every single person around him. The desire to feel their blood on his hands was excruciating. It was as if he had gone three days without water and all around him were tall glasses ice cold water, but he couldn't touch a single one. He had stuffed his hands into his pockets so that no one could see them shake with his hunger. Ahead of him he could see a pair of concerned parents trying to calm down a sobbing little girl. In her hands was a dripping ice cream cone, and at her feet were the melting remnants of her treat where it had fallen. The girl's cries were unbearable, and the frantic efforts of her parents to calm her down only seemed to make it worse.

The masked teen winced sharply as the girl's cries suddenly reached a crescendo and he resisted the urge to cover his ears. He hated the girl. He hated her parents. He hated every single person at the festival. He just wanted them all to die. To be killed. To be slaughtered like the sheep they were.

He took a half step towards the crying girl, his blood-red eyes shining with the fury of his bloodlust. He had to kill them, he had to. He had to he had to he had to he had to he had to-

He froze in his tracks as a pro hero suddenly stepped out from behind one of the stalls, offering a fresh cone to the little girl with a heroic smile. The parents thanked the hero profusely as the little girl reached out and took the cone, her tears coming to a stop. The teen quickly turned and strode away.

As much as he wanted to kill everyone, he had to remember why he was here. He shifted the backpack on his shoulders, feeling the metal objects inside press against his back. He had to stay focused on the task at hand.

The masked teen glanced up at the jumbotrons above him, getting another look at the face of the boy he came to kill. He felt the beast inside him roar in fury as he looked at the boy, and he fought the urge to roar with it. As much as he had wanted to kill that little girl, his thirst for the blood of the little hero on the screen was 10 times worse. He felt the urge to rip the boy limb from limb in every cell of his body, in every fiber of his being.

"I'm coming for you…" The teen whispered. "Kokuree Shiamasu…"

XXX

"TEAM SHINSO!"

I stood next to Shinso with my hands clasped behind my back, fighting to keep a huge grin off my face. I looked around eagerly, taking in as much of the spectator's cheers as I could. Shinso looked perfectly at ease, sparing the crowd nothing but a bored glance out of the corner of his pale purple eyes. At our sides stood the other winners of the Cavalry Battle, and behind us in a huge gaggle were the losers.

"TEAM MIDORIYA!"

Uraraka and the support-course girl were both beaming, their eyes shining with happiness and pride. Tokoyami was a little more subdued, but I could tell from the ruffling of his feathers and the tiny upturns at the corners of his beak that he was just as excited as they were. Midoriya had finally managed to stop crying, and furiosuly scrubbed his raw eyes as he smiled at the cheering crowd.

"TEAM TODOROKI!"

Yaoyorozu, Iida, and Kaminari were all smiling widely, enjoying the adoration of the fans. Todoroki, as usual, looked completely unfazed by the situation, his face his usual emotionless mask. If anything, he seemed even more detached than usual, staring off into space without any reaction whatsoever to his name being called.

"TEAM BAKUGO!"

Kirishima and Sero fistbumped each other, grinning, while Ashido jumped in the air and pumped the air with her fist in excitement. Bakugou on the other hand was still glowering from only finishing 2nd, and alternated between glaring at Todoroki and sneering at the crowd around him.

"THESE FOUR VALIANT TEAMS WILL BE MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ROUND OF THIS THRILLING FESTIVAL!" Present Mic boomed. "BUT NOW LET'S TAKE A LUNCH BREAK BEFORE THE AFTERNOON'S FESTIVITIES! SEE YA THEN!"

We all winced at the sharp staticy click as Present Mic shut off the microphone. As one, the spectators rose from their seats and began to make their way to the exits, their roaring cheers dying down to an excited buzz. We all looked around at each other for a moment, unsure of what we were supposed to do. It was Kendo who ended the confusion, clearing her throat loudly and pushing her way to the front.

"They said it was time for lunch," She said, clapping her hands. "So, let's all go eat!" She turned and began to walk towards the 1-B kids' tunnel, her classmates following her. My classmates and I looked around at each other, then they began to head towards our own tunnel. I turned and shot Shinso a small grin, clapping him on the shoulder.

"See you in the next round," I said. He nodded at me.

"I look forward to it." I raised my fingers to my eyebrow in a small salute, then jogged to rejoin my classmates. The others were well into the tunnels heading out of the arena by the time I caught up to them. I slowed to a walk once I caught up with Kirishima, who had been walking with Bakugou.

"Oh, hey man!" Kirishima said with a fanged grin. "Congrats on making it to the next round!"

"Right back at you," I replied. "You too Bakugou, congratulations." The class hothead sneered at me and scoffed.

"Whatever," he said, stalking ahead. I sighed and Kirishima rolled his eyes.

"Classic Bakugou, amirite?" Kirishima said. "Even when he wins, he loses."

"I just don't get why he has to be such a jerk all the time," I said. "Would it kill him to be nice for a change?"

"Yeah well...that's just who he is," Kirishima replied with a shrug. "Hopefully he'll grow out of it."

"Maybe…" I muttered, not sharing in my friend's optimism. "But anyway, how was the cavalry battle for your team? I bet it was pretty stressful having Bakugou yelling the whole time."

"You got that right," Kirishima said, rubbing the top of his head purposefully. "He was a handful at times, but I doubt we would have won without him. He may be a little rough around the edges, but there's no denying how powerful he is."

There was a moment of silence as we stepped out of the tunnel into the bright daylight outside of the arena. We were each quiet for a moment as we let our eyes adjust to the sudden glare and reflected on Kirishima's words.

He was right. Bakugou was a pain and had a terrible attitude, but he was one heck of a fighter. And I had the bruises to prove it from our scuffle in the obstacle course. If he hadn't been so distracted by the mines, then he may have been able to overpower me. I wasn't eager to go toe-to-toe with him.

"Anyway," Kirishima said, breaking the silence. "We can swap stories once we have some food. I don't know about you, but I am starving! Nothing works up an appetite like big fights and beautiful days, that's what I always say! I mean, just look at that blue sky! U.A. couldn't have asked for nicer weather."

"You got that right," I replied, tilting my head back. "The sky is bluer than-" The realization hit me like a 2X4 to the gut. I was so distracted by the battle and Kirishima that I had completely forgotten. I wrenched my head back towards the arena.

' _Chi!'_

"You alright man?" I gulped as Kirishima put his hand on my shoulder. "You just stopped all the sudden. Feelin' okay?"

"Yeah!" I said, trying to act casual and doing my best to ignore the bead of cold sweat dripping down my back. I had to get back to her. I stopped and made a big show of patting my sides.

"Oh, dang it!" I said, smiling bashfully. "I left my money in the arena. I'll just go grab it real quick, I'll meet you guys there!"

"Okay…" Kirishima said as I turned back the way we came. "Hey wait! You won't need money, we're all eating in the cafeteria-"

But it was too late, I was already gone. My heart pounded as I raced through the tunnels beneath the arena, my mind full of images of Chi being led outside in handcuffs.

' _I should have made sure she went back to the regular seats before the cavalry battle.'_ I fumed. ' _She's probably still down here, the idiot.'_ I willed myself to go faster, pushing my powered-down self to the limit. A few turns later, I was standing with my hands on my knees outside of the door to my class's ready-room. I flicked a bead of sweat out of my eyes, then wrenched the door open, my mouth already open to start scolding Chi.

The room was empty. I looked around desperately, searching for a flash of blue or white, to no avail. I closed my mouth with a clop and darted across the room, checking to see if she was hiding in the girls' changing area. No sign of her. I swore and slumped into a chair.

This room was the only place I could think of to look. If she wasn't here, then she was probably lost down in the tunnels somewhere. And if that was the case, then she would probably get picked up by security before I would be able to find her. I groaned and tilted my head back against the back of the chair.

"Dammit Chi…" I muttered. I stared off into space for a moment, thinking nasty thoughts about my stubborn tutor.

Suddenly, I noticed one of our lockers was hanging slightly open. I blinked, then stood up, looking closer. It was my locker. My heart thumped in my chest. I looked around to make sure I was alone, then called out.

"Chi…?" There was no response. I crept over to my locker and, after a moment's hesitation, pulled it open. A small piece of paper fell out, gliding softly to the floor. I crouched and picked it up. It was blank on one side. When I flipped it over, a note with familiar handwriting looked up at me.

 _Shiamasu,_

 _I'm sure that you came here to look for me after the cavalry battle, but as you can see I'm long gone. I'm not dumb enough to stick around down here waiting to get caught. You don't have to worry about me, I'll be able to find my way back to the stands. Anyway, if we don't see each other before then, good luck in the next round! I know you'll do great. And if you don't I'll knock you out. Put that spit to good use!_

 _Chi_

I heaved a huge sigh of relief and put the note back in my locker. I should have known that Chi was smart enough to get out of dodge, and I shook my head at my own misguided worry. Still, it was a relief to know that she was safe.

With one last look around the room to make sure that no evidence of Chi's presence remained, I turned and jogged out of the room.

' _Kirishima better have saved me a seat in the cafeteria.'_ I thought, hustling back the way I came.

XXX

"Hey there you are, Shiamasu," Kirishima said, looking up from his bowl of curry as I dropped in the empty seat across from him. I smiled and nodded at him, Kaminari, and Tokoyami. "We were starting to get worried about you. You took off in such a hurry earlier, I thought something was wrong."

"Yeah, sorry about all that," I replied. "I just get anxious when I leave my wallet lying around, you know?" Kirishima continued to eye me, his laden spoon hanging frozen above his plate. I met his gaze, concentrating on not breaking eye contact. A few moments passed, then something shifted in Kirishima's gaze and the tension evaporated from the air.

Grinning as if nothing had happened, Kirishima took a big spoonful from Kaminari's plate and spooned it into his mouth. We all laughed at Kaminari's indignant protests, and lunch began in earnest.

We all joked and laughed for most of lunch, like it was any other school day. Food was thrown, utensils were stolen and laughingly returned, girls were oggled, and laughter was abundant. No one brought up the Sports Festival, which suited me just fine. I was content to enjoy my friend's company, without the added tension of the competition.

Of course, all good things must come to an end, sometime.

With just a few minutes left in our lunch break we all sat back in our seats, our plates empty and our stomachs full. A peaceful, friendly silence had fallen over us, and I had taken to staring out the massive windows during the lull in conversation. I was in the middle of deciding whether a passing cloud better resembled a tree or a man with an afro when Kirishima's voice shattered the silence, bringing us all back to the present.

"So Shiamasu, what was the Cavalry battle like for you? You and that kid from General Studies racked up a ton of points, but I don't even remember seeing you." For a brief moment I tensed up, then forced myself to relax. This was the moment I had been dreading: having to retell my version of the battle without disclosing Shinso's quirk. I hated lying to my friends, but I couldn't bring myself to go back on my word. I had promised to keep Shinso's mind control a secret, and I would.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "Oh, it was no big deal. I just used my speed to avoid everyone. Then, when the time was right, I zoomed in and Shinso snagged the points we needed to advance. You were probably too distracted to notice me."

"Well you did one heck of a job running away once you had some points, because I don't remember seeing you at all either," kaminari said.

"Nor do I," Tokoyami said. The three of them looked at me expectantly, curiosity and suspicious evident in the way they almost imperceptibly narrowed their eyes at me.

"What can I say? Speed is my game?" I replied with an easy smile, acting far more casual than I felt.

' _This isn't good...they're too focused on me. I have to shift their attention elsewhere.'_

"What about you Kirishima?" I said, trying to deflect their attention away. "I thought your team was a show in, but it looked pretty dicey on your end in that last minute."

"Oh yeah Kirishima, spill it," Kaminari said, grinning. "I could hear Bakugou screaming from the other side of Todoroki's ice wall; I thought he was going to kill someone." Kirishima grimmaced and rubbed the top of his head.

"Oh man, you guys don't even know the half of it," he groaned. "I still have a headache from bakugou wailing on my head and yelling into my ear. I swear, sometimes I don't know if that guy is a man or a wild animal." The Kaminari, Tokoyami and I all chuckled at that, but Kirishima sat quietly, smiling softly.

"Still though, Bakugou really does amaze me sometimes. I mean, you guys should have seen him; flying through the air, taking on entire teams by himself… it was incredible. Seriously, it was enough to give you chills. Like him or hate him, I know one thing for sure: Bakugou is going to be one heck of a hero one day."

I looked across the table to Kirishima, who was gazing out the window with an unreadable expression. That was the second time today that he had mentioned Bakugou's power, at least to me.

' _Is Kirishima jealous of him…? He's mentioned before that he would prefer to have a flashier quirk.'_

"True enough Kirishima," I said. "But he's not the only strong one in our class. We're all just as powerful as Bakugou in our own ways - and we don't fly off the handle whenever someone looks in our general direction." My friends nodded and murmured their agreements. Kirishima grinned at me.

"Yeah, of course!" He said. "We all fought those villians at the USJ, we can handle anything!" At that moment, the PA system crackled to life and the friendly chatter died down as everyone listened.

"HEY THERE COMPETITORS!" Present Mic boomed. "I HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED YOUR MEAL, BECAUSE THE CAFETERIA IS NOW CLOSED! YOU ALL HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO GET BACK TO THE ARENA, SO I'D HUSTLE IF I WERE YOU!" As the loudspeakers clicked off we all looked at each other with stunned expressions. The Arena was a good 10 minute walk from the cafeteria.

"Aw, dammit!" Kirishima cried, pushing back his chair with a clatter as the room exploded into a chaotic cluster of activity. "Did he really have to wait until now to warn us? We're going to have to run to make it back in time!"

"Less talking, more running!" Kaminari shot back, darting towards the door. Tokoyami and I pushed back our chairs and ran to the exit, hot on Kaminari and Kirishima's heels.

XXX

The roar of the crowd was just as deafening as it was earlier and I rubbed my ears as I made my way back into the arena. Still, I held my head high and kept a half smile on my face as me and the rest of my classmates strode across the field towards center stage. I looked for Chi in the crowd, but picking out her face amidst the thousands was impossible and I quickly gave up. Every few moments I would perk up and grin from my head to my toes as my name was yelled from the crowd, random people cheering me on.

' _I could get used to this.'_

Present Mic boomed about the side events that would be going on for the festival runner-ups while the rest of us prepared for our fights, but stopped suddenly as something caught his and the rest of the spectators' attentions.

A wall of sound hit me like a truck and I stumbled, caught off guard by the explosive increase in volume. It seemed as if every male in the crowd had suddenly leapt to their feet, and I swiveled to see what could have drawn their attention. I soon had my answer as I turned and looked behind me, and Kirishima's breath whistled out of him as my jaw dropped.

"Holy sweet mother…"

Behind us stood Yaoyorozu, Uraraka, Jiro, Ashido, Asui, and Hagakure… in skimpy cheerleader uniforms. My eyes drank in the sight of them, the sight of their bare midriffs and legs sending tingles up and down my spine. Yaoyorozu in particular was receiving the brunt of the attention, and I myself lingered over her.

When I finally looked at their faces, I saw that they were all embarrassed and angry - huddling together and talking rapidly. And suddenly, I imagined what Chi would say if she saw me ogling over them like pieces of meat. I could practically hear her disappointed outrage, and the spell shattered. Ashamed, I tore my eyes away from my classmates, looking down at my feet instead.

It took another minute for the crowd to settle down, and when they finally did we had all mustered at the center stage. Me and the other 13 finalists stood in two rows right at the foot of the stage, while the other students who had already been eliminated stood in a big cluster behind us.

The roar of the crowd became a low buzz as Midnight took the stage once again, grinning coyly at us.

"Let me first say this," Midnight began. "Girls of class 1-A...looking good!" There was a roar of assent from the crowd as the girl's faces burned red with embarrassment. I winced at their expense.

"Now then, there's just one little housekeeping issue that we have to take care of. Due to one of the teams in the cavalry battle only having two members, we're left with only 14 finalists. Since we need 16 to have an even number for the finals, two of the students from the 5th place team will have to be moved up."

The crowd murmured in surprise as we all looked at the 5th place team: Team Kendo. Once they had gotten over their initial surprise, they decided that because they had been frozen in Todoroki's ice for most of the battle that they weren't fit to continue in the games, and the paton was passed to Team Tetsutetsu. They then chose amongst themselves that a girl with vines for hair - Ibara Shiozaki - and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu would be advancing. Once that was done and the two students from 1-B joined the rest of us in the front two rows, Midnight continued her speech.

"You remaining contestants, come closer and draw lots to see who you'll be up against in the finals. As you all know, the events for the non-finalists will be taking place before the finals, and you finalists have the option to participate in them. However, I'm sure you all would rather save your strength for the finals." As one, the finalists nodded. Midnight grinned.

"Very well. Step forward and draw your lots!" I gulped and followed Kirishima as he got in line, my palms suddenly slick with sweat. The line moved quickly, and when it was my turn I bowed quickly to Midnight and thrust my hand into a large orange box and quickly drew a scrap of paper.

When I returned to my place in line Kirishima nudged me and showed me the number written on his lot. I glanced at my own, then shook my head. We weren't opponents. That suited me just fine, I was in no rush to fight my best friend in the first round of the finals.

I wouldn't feel so bad about knocking him out in the later rounds though.

"Take a look at the bracket my dears!" Midnight said, slashing the air with her ever-present flogger. "These are your opponents!" The crowd screamed with excitement as the bracket on the jumbotrons suddenly filled with names. I kept my eyes level with the stage as sighs of relief and barely muffled groans came from the other finalists. I just couldn't bring myself to look yet.

Next to me, Kirishima groaned and smacked his head.

"Seriously?! How does this keep happening?! Aw man! How am I supposed to stand out when that guy has the exact same quirk as me?!"

With a deep breath to calm my racing heart, I lifted my head to the bracket. I quickly found my name, and next to it was my opponent's. My heart began racing out of control once more and my blood ran cold. My stomach sank and churned, a sudden bout of nausea making my head spin. An icy drop of sweat ran down my spine as I looked up in horror at who my opponent was going to be.

In the weeks leading up to the festival, Chi and I had spent hours pouring over the descriptions and quirk assessments of all of the other competitors, weighing my odds against each one and coming up with baseline strategies for each. And, in that time, we both agreed who the worst case scenario was - the one person who could effectively counter my speed.

And his name was listed right next to mine.

I was suddenly aware of a pair of eyes boring into the back of my neck, and I knew immediately who they belonged to. Turning slowly, I met the cold stare of my opponent, trying not to let my frantic nervousness be too obvious.

My opponent...was Todoroki.

XXX

For what felt like the millionth time that day, the sidekick cursed under his breath and kicked a rock by his boot. It was bad enough that he was stuck on guard duty outside of one of the greatest sporting events of the modern world, but of course he had been caught by Snipe as he was sneaking back to his post after he was done watching the first event. He didn't dare try to sneak away again, and now he had to go speak with Snipe personally as soon as the games were over. The sidekick groaned at the thought of how that conversation was going to go.

"I'm probably going to be demoted to intern status…" he groaned, covering his eyes with his hand. The sidekick was so wrapped up in his self pity that he didn't notice that he wasn't alone until the sound of a shoe scuffing the ground a few yards away alerted him to the presence of someone else.

The sidekick whirled around, dropping into a crouch. A few yards away stood a festival goer, seemingly frozen in awe and a hint of fear. He wore plain black clothes and had a U.A. bag around his shoulders. A massive All Might mask hid his face from view, but when he spoke his voice quivered with excitement.

"U-um.. excuse me sir?" He said. He sounded like a teenager, and his cowed body language seemed in no way threatening. The sidekick's forked tongue flicked out and he frowned.

' _No good...the wind is at my back, blowing his scent away.'_ The sidekick thought. Still, he seemed harmless enough. The sidekick relaxed slightly.

"This area is off limits kid, go back the way you came." The sidekick said.

"Oh, I-I'm sorry," He said, tripping over his words in his nervous haste. "I was j-just wondering if you could t-tell me where the bathrooms w-were? I g-g-got lost looking for them."

The sidekick sighed. He didn't have time for this. Nor did he have the patience.

"Look kid, just go back the way you came and you should see big signs point towards the bathrooms, alri-" The sidekick stopped as the wind suddenly changed direction, blowing from the teen to the sidekick. The sidekick recoiled in horror and disgust as his mouth filled with an abominable taste. He covered his mouth and retched, his eyes watering.

' _Dear God, what is that?'_ The sidekick thought, panicked. His eyes darted around for a moment, then landed on the festival goer. The sidekick's eyes widened.

An overpowering scent of blood and decay and something evil was pouring off of the teenager. It was a smell of old blood and new blood, blood that had not been parted with peacefully. He stank of rotting meat and hate, the smell coming off him in waves. It was, the sidekick thought, the smell of death. The putrid stink of evil. And, most of all, the smell of fear incarnate.

The sidekick reached towards his belt for his radio, but the teen in the mask was too fast. In a blur of black, the teen tackled the sidekick and held him down, his knees digging into the sidekick's throat and chest. The teen knocked the sidekick's hand away and grabbed the radio, tossing it into the underbrush. The sidekick bucked under the masked teen, but they just reached down and punched him in the temple, dazing him.

The sidekick groaned softly and tried to struggle, but it suddenly felt as if his body was made of lead and he his vision swam. The blow to his head and the lack of air from the knee on his throat made it impossible for the sidekick to think, and all he could concentrate on was the assailant's sickening scent.

"You...I know you." The masked teen said, all traces of the nervous stutter gone, replaced by a voice of horrible, twisted glee. "You're one of Snipe's sidekicks...Snakebite, right? Let me just say, I am a huge fan of your work. Really, you and your quirk are, in my opinion, outrageously underrated."

Snakebite's vision was slowly turning red, and through the crimson haze he saw the masked teen reach under his clothes and pull out a long, bloodstained knife.

"Okay, that was a bit of a lie," The masked teen continued. "I actually hate your work, and your quirk is really pathetic. But, I do like your name. Snakes really are wonderful predators, and ophidiophobia is one of the most common fears in the world."

The masked teen paused for a moment. Snakebite wanted to throw up from the taste of the teen's scent, but he felt as if he didn't even have the energy to swallow.

"What are you looking at… oh, my knife? What, are you surprised? I'll admit, it isn't as threatening as a gun, but…"

Snakebite jerked once then was still as the teen slipped the blade up through his throat, into his brain.

"...I just like the feeling of someone else's blood in my hands too much to shoot them." The masked teen savored the look of surprised horror on Snakebite's face, and slid the knife in and out of his throat a few more times just for good measure. Then, he straightened and grabbed Snakebite's corpse under the arms and dragged him into the bushes. Once he was satisfied that the body was well hidden, the teen reached up and lifted the mask off his face, throwing it away into the bushes.

Phobia stood and faced the now unguarded entrance to the stadium, a crazed smile on his face. Then, hiking his bag onto his shoulders, he stalked across the pavement into the shadowed tunnels beneath the stadium.

 **Hey guys! Gonna keep this one short and just say thank you all who read this, and I hope you continue to like and read what I have to offer.**

 **zerom1v: I love your questions, I just wish I could answer them without spoiling anything. I guess you're just going to have to wait and see.**

 **Guest: Ouch. While I am a novice writer like you said, the reason behind Kokuree's guilt over some of his reactions to events and when he argues with people is because, as a teen, he can sometimes let his emotions get the best of him and speak out of turn. But, as an intellectual, he hates when he lets his emotions get the best of him, leading to the guilt he feels. I'm sorry my writing wasn't able to accurately portray that.**

 **Guest: Thank you so much!**

 **Lord Terronus: Ah, welcome back my friend! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter and the interactions between Shinso and Shiamasu, I put a lot of time and thought into how they would communicate with each other. I spent many hours pouring over the manga and anime with Shinso, trying to get a feel for his character. I hope it panned out. Anyway, I'm glad you like my writing, and I hope you continue to show Boosted the love you feel it deserves.**

 **Amurlintz: This fanart of Kokuree has been around for awhile, and I agree. It is pretty fuckin beautiful.**

 **Prince: Yeah, Sumisu did deserve what he got. As to why his parents are fine with it: while his entire family is quirkless, it's only his grandparents who view them as "impure".**

 **Prince (2): Fair enough, his name is a little silly. And suffer he did.**


	22. Sports Festival pt 6: Go Beyond!

Todoroki's eyes bored into mine, his gaze so intense it was if he was trying to set me on fire through sheer willpower. His expression remained an impassive mask, but the way his eyes gleamed betrayed him: he was furious. He didn't scowl or yell, clench his fists or curse. He didn't walk away in a huff or make a scene. He just stared at me.

And the look in his eyes gave me chills.

But I was able to hold my ground and meet his gaze, albeit without the same glimmer of raw fury that he had, because I could tell that his anger wasn't directed at me. He may have been looking at me with murder in his mismatched eyes, but it wasn't because he wanted to hurt me. Rather, it seemed to me that he was angry that I was the one he had to fight, as if he was angry that he had to take care of me first before he could take on who he really wanted. His look didn't say: "I'm going to murder you..." it said "how dare you get in my way".

It didn't take a genius to figure out why Todoroki was mad at having to fight me, and who he wanted to fight instead.

' _Midoriya.'_

I saw my green-haired classmate standing alone a few yards away, peering intently at the bracket. And, to my horror, I saw Shinso walking towards him with a smirk. I paled and starting walking quickly towards Midoriya, intent on intercepting my classmate before Shinso could get there. I didn't know how long Shinso's quirk lasted, but I didn't want to take the chance and potentially allow my classmate and friend to fall under Shinso's power before the match even began.

"Hey Midoriya!" I called, waving my arm to get his attention. Shinso shot me a venomous look as Midoriya turned and returned my greeting with a little nod.

"Oh, hey Shiamasu. What's up?" I stood in front of Midoriya so that when he faced me his back was to Shinso.

' _This'll do for now, but I need to get him away from Shinso while I still have the chance.'_ I thought. I leaned in closer to Midoriya, lowering my voice so only he could hear me.

"I couldn't help but notice that your opponent was my partner for the cavalry battle," I whispered. "And you've obviously seen that my opponent is Todoroki. I was thinking that maybe we could help each other out. You know, I scratch your back you scratch mine."

Midoriya nodded, instantly interested like I hoped he would be.

"Yeah, absolutely. Good idea, Shiamasu."

"Great!" I said, pulling Midoriya with me towards our ready rooms. "Let's get going then! No time to waste!"

"O-okay…" I glanced behind us and saw Shinso glaring at me, and I returned his look with a frown of my own before turning back around. I may have succeeded in luring Midoriya away from Shinso, but I had only created a new problem for myself. What was I supposed to tell Midoriya? I still didn't want to disclose to my classmate Shinso's quirk, but I couldn't not tell him anything either.

' _This is a fine mess you've gotten yourself into, Kokuree.'_

Midoriya and I made idle chit-chat as we walked, casually discussing the Sports Festival and wondering what the pros were thinking about all of us so far. It was a friendly enough conversation, but there was a hint of strain as well in that we were each careful not to divulge any information about ourselves and our powers, nor did we delve too much into detail about our own strategies.

It was a brutal game of verbal chess, each of us hinting at our own powers and attempting to trick the other into dropping a crucial piece of information. Questions disguised as jokes. Hints hidden within stories. Feints within feints within feints. In a way, that short walk from the field to the ready room was the most difficult engagement I had fought in so far that day.

By the time the door to the room came into view it felt as if steam was coming out of my ears, and Midoriya's finger twitched sporadically. I think we both sighed in relief when the conversation ended and we sank into our chairs.

For a minute we just sat there, catching our breath and giving our brains a chance to cool off. I felt a little drained, but at the same time strangely refreshed. I had forgotten how gratifying it was to cross verbal blades with an intellectual equal. I had to hand it to Midoriya, he was one smart kid.

Another minute passed, and the two of us eyed each other across the table. Finally, Midoriya said:

"So… what do you want to know?" My pulse quickened a tiny bit. I could hear it in his voice that he was done with our little game. No more tricks or feints. Now, it was all business. I steepled my hands on the table and looked him square in the eyes.

"Everything."

Midoriya was silent. When he did speak again, his voice was slow and deliberate.

"I'm not sure what I can tell you that you don't already know for yourself-"

"Come on Midoriya," I said, cutting him off. "Don't pull that on me."

"I'm serious!" He protested, his eyes flashing defiantly. "Look Shiamasu, I'm more than happy to tell you everything that I know about Todoroki, I'm just warning you that most of it will be information that you already know."

"I'm aware of that," I replied with a wave of my hand. "Just indulge me."

"Fine." Midoriya fell silent again as he collected his thoughts. I sat there patiently, waiting for him to start when he was ready. After a few moments had passed, he took a breath and began.

"Todoroki's quirk is called half-cold, half-hot. He can create and manipulate ice with his right side, and fire with his left. He's had considerable training in hand-to-hand combat, both with and without using his quirk. He's in excellent physical condition, and I have no doubt that his intellect and ability to breakdown his opponent's skills and weaknesses equal mine...or yours."

Midoriya paused, and I nodded for him to continue. I already knew all of this from my own observations of Todoroki, as well as my fight with him and Bakugou during the obstacle race. Midoriya seemed to consider something for a moment, and only began to speak once he had come to a decision.

"One thing that I've learned from watching Todoroki fight is that he can't use his right side to freeze something he isn't touching. His ranged ice attacks all travel along the ground from his feet, so if you're quick then they're easy to avoid. If you were to somehow get him off the ground, then his ice would be worthless."

I suppressed the urge to smile. Chi and I had both inferred that much about Todoroki's quirk, but it was a relief to hear it confirmed. That was valuable information.

"Unfortunately, that seems to be where his weaknesses end. From what I've seen, Todoroki has no discernable physical inhibitors like the rest of us do with our quirks. Using his quirk doesn't visibly fatigue him in any way, and I don't know where he finds the energy or materials necessary to spontaneously create his ice and fire. I have a few theories, but none of them are any use to you right now, and it would just be a waste of our time to explain them right now."

"Fair enough."

"..." Midoriya hesitated again, his face scrunched as if in pain. He seemed to be grappling with himself.

"Midoriya…?" I prompted him. His fingers tapped rapidly on the tabletop, faster and faster until they were a blur. I waited with excited apprehension. Whatever he was thinking about must have been big if he was this torn up about telling me.

' _This could be the game changer I need!'_

Suddenly, Midoriya's fingers went still. He took a huge breath and wiped his brow with the back of his hand. When he looked back at me, his eyes were conflicted. When he spoke, he sounded unsure of himself.

"Shiamasu," He began. "The only reason I'm telling you this... is because if I do, then I believe it will improve my chances to advance further in the tournament. Under any other circumstances I would never tell you what I'm about to tell you… but these games and what they mean for our prospects as future heroes are too big for me not to. No matter what I think, I… I have to ensure my own position in the next round."

He paused again.

"Todoroki...isn't using his left side. He hasn't used his fire once this whole time, and he's sworn never to use it when he fights."

I gawked at Midoriya, dumbstruck. What he had just told me wasn't just big: it was monumentous. Never in my wildest dreams could I have ever hoped that Todoroki would _willingly_ fight me with half his full power. This was nothing shy of a miracle. Unable to help myself, I began to smile.

"I won't tell you why he's doing this, so don't ask. He told me in confidence, and I refuse to-"

I waved my green-haired classmate off with a grin.

"Don't worry Midoriya," I said. "I could care less why he's not using his fire, all that matters to me is that he isn't."

"Just please don't tell anyone else, Shiamasu," Midoriya all but begged. "I feel guilty enough telling you what I have already."

"His secret is safe with me. I promise I won't tell a soul." That seemed to placate him, and he leaned back in his chair with a small sigh of relief.

"Thanks, Shiamasu," He said.

"No, thank you, Midoriya." I replied. "I think that I have a real chance of winning this thing now."

"Well...I'm glad." We were both silent for a few moments. I was practically vibrating with excitement from this revelation. New strategies and possibilities flowed through my brain like a river, each made possible by the lack of Todoroki's fire. I grinned. I could win this.

"Hey, Shiamasu?" Midoriya's voice brought me back to reality.

"Yeah Midoriya?"

"So, I've told you what I know… can you tell me about Shinso's quirk now?"

And just like that, my sense of peace and hope was shattered. I swallowed the curse that had risen up in my throat and rubbed my mouth. Now it was my turn to be conflicted. I had decided on the way over here that I would just be coy with my classmate, saying that Shinso never revealed his quirk to me and just let me do all the work.

But what Midoriya said changed everything. He had given me the game changer I was looking for, and I owed it to him to give him what he needed to win his own match too. But how could I betray Shino's trust?

"Shiamasu…?" Midoriya said. I bit my lip; I was out of time.

"Midoriya…" I began. "I'm not exactly sure how much I can tell you…" Midoriya's face contorted as several expressions darted across it rapidly: surprise, confusion, anger.

"Shiamasu, we had a deal." He said.

"I know, I know," I said, running a hand through my hair. "But I don't know what to do. Shinso made me swear not to tell you his quirk. I'm sorry Midoriya, I don't know what to do. I feel like I need to tell you after what you just told me about Todoroki, but I gave Shinso my word."

Midoriya glared at me for a long moment and I averted my eyes, ashamed. I waited for Midoriya to let me have it, or just walk out on me. But once again, my green-haired classmate surprised me.

"I understand.." I looked at Midoriya in shock, who gave me a weak smile. "I know what it's like to give your word to someone, Shiamasu. We all have our fair share of secrets. So, I understand if you can't tell me."

"...Midoriya…"

"But maybe you can tell me his abilities?" Midoriya asked. "Maybe if you tell me about him, then I can figure out his quirk by myself. That way you'll be helping me withouting breaking your promise."

I stared at Midoriya for a moment, still in shock by the depths of his understanding for my dilemma. Then, I smiled.

"Yeah, I think I can do that," I said.

XXX

Midoriya sat with his chin resting in his palm against the table, the other hand drumming against his leg, lost in thought.

"Well?" I asked. "What do you think?" Midoriya sighed.

"I'm not too sure," he replied. "From what you've told me he has no combat skills, so that eliminates any kind of power up quirk. He obviously doesn't have a quirk that changes his physical appearance at all either. His quirk must have a major flaw, otherwise he wouldn't go to such lengths to keep it hidden from the rest of us. However, it must be powerful, otherwise he wouldn't have made it this far. Some kind of telepathic or telekinetic quirk is possible, but I don't think he would have hid that kind of quirk as much as he has."

"But you must have some ideas, right?"

"To tell you the truth, I really don't," Midoriya sighed. "I appreciate everything that you've told me, and I do have an idea or two on how I can fight him, but I'm still pretty much in the dark as to what his quirk could possibly be."

I was crestfallen and sunk down in my seat. I had managed to keep Shinso's secret, but at what cost? I hadn't told Midoriya anything that he could use against Shinso, and the moment he set foot on that stage the fight would be as good as over. Midoriya's massive advantage in power and fighting skill would all be worthless the moment Shinso got him to open his mouth.

"Midoriya, I'm sorr-" I stopped as the PA system suddenly buzzed.

"HEY HEY THERE LISTENERS! NOW THAT ALL THOSE PARTY GAMES ARE OUT OF THE WAY, IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON TO THE FIRST MATCH OF THE FINALS! IF THEY'RE HEARING THIS MESSAGE, COMPETITORS SHINSO AND MIDORIYA HAVE 5 MINUTES TO MAKE THERE WAY TO THE STAGE!"

Midoriya pushed his chair back as Present Mic finished his announcement, his expression grave.

"Well, this is it," he said. "Thanks for the help, Shiamasu."

My stomach dropped to my ankles as Midoriya turned and headed for the door. I couldn't let him go out there just to lose, not like this. It wasn't fair to him. He didn't deserve to lose in the first round after ensuring my advancement. He was my classmate-

No, he was my friend.

I threw my chair back.

"Wait Midoriya!" I yelled. The green-haired powerhouse stopped with his hand on the knob, turning to face me with a look of surprise.

"His quirk…" I said. "Whatever you do, don't open your mouth. If you so much as say hello to him, it'll be over. That's all I can tell you." Midoriya looked at me with shock, then a huge smile covered his face. My heart soared as he nodded, his eyes gleaming with determination.

"Thank you, Shiamasu." I returned his smile with one of my own. He let go of the knob and turned all the way around to face me.

"Even though I told you about Todoroki's weakness, you'll still have to give it everything you got if you want to beat Todoroki," Midoriya said. "He's just too powerful. There isn't a doubt in my mind that you can beat him, but you'll need to fight with everything you have." He took a breath, and his voice filled with a new tone of purpose and no small amount of pride.

"A great hero once told me this, and now I pass it on to you. These words are a sacred torch, one that has been passed down to me from a man that I admire and respect deeply, and I tell you them because I believe that you are worthy of them."

"Go beyond. Go beyond, Shiamasu. Go beyond what you thought was possible and give it your all in this fight. Use every iota of strength that your quirk can give you, and then find the strength within yourself that you didn't even know you had. Go beyond, and you'll win this fight and all the rest to come."

I was speechless. I couldn't even begin to fathom the gravity of what Midoriya had just told me. It felt as if Midoriya had entrusted me with a piece of his very soul.

' _Who the Hell is this kid?'_

"Well, I gotta go," Midoriya said with a nervous grin, as if the events of the past minute had never happened. "Wish me luck!"

I remained frozen as he turned and ran out the door, and it wasn't for another long minute that I finally murmured:

"Thank you, Midoriya."

XXX

I had another ten minutes or so before Midoriya's match began to strategize for my own fight, which I did with gusto. Of course, I could have missed Midoriya's fight; but that was unthinkable to me. Midoriya was my classmate and my friend, and I owed it to him to be there and cheer him on for his fight against Shinso.

Besides, it would be useful to get a little sample of his fighting style in case I had to fight him in a later round.

For ten minutes I sat with my hands steepled in front of my face, brainstorming every possible attack and counterattack for my fight with Todoroki. His lack of fire opened the door for dozens of new strategies that I had never thought to consider, and I needed to have every angle locked down before I stepped into the ring.

For ten minutes mental versions of Todoroki and I sparred, furiously fighting up, down and all around my consciousness. It took every ounce of concentration I had to maintain our mental bout and to keep it as realistic as possible. So intense was my focus that I lost track of time, and I was ripped from my meditative state by the sudden roar of the crowd signaling the beginning of the first fight.

"Crap!" I blurted, pushing my chair back and darting out of the room. I could hear Present Mic faintly introduce Midoriya and Shinso as I sprinted down the halls of the underbelly of the stadium. Faster and faster I ran, my feet slapping the concrete as I pounded up the stairs to where the rest of my class was sitting. The cheers of the crowd grew louder as I ran closer to the bright opening to the stands, reaching a crescendo mere feet from the exit.

As I burst out into the bright afternoon sun of the stands, Present Mic's voice roared louder than ever as a wave of noise crashed against me from the near-crazed spectators:

"BEGIN!"

From my vantage point at the top of the student section I could see Midoriya and Shinso squaring off on opposite ends of a huge, elevated concrete square that served as the fight boundaries. Midnight and the pro hero Cementoss were seated at a small table on the side of the ring, ready to step in if the fight got out of hand. Shinso stood on his end with his hands casually in his pockets, a lazy grin on his face. Midoriya stood ready on his side, his body tensed and coiled like a spring about to pop. I understood Midoriya's hesitance to simply rush Shinso and end the fight quickly without knowing what his quirk was, but nonetheless I silently urged Midoriya to engage Shinso and end it.

Suddenly, I saw Shinso open his mouth and start talking to Midoriya. It was impossible to see what Shinso was saying from here, but I could tell by the snarky grin on his face that he was goading Midoriya, trying to get him to say something back so that he could take control of his mind. What Shinso didn't know was that I had already prepared Midoriya for that, and I knew he would be safe. I grinned.

' _Too bad Shinso-'_ I thought for a moment. My eyes widened in horror and shock as Midoriya suddenly scowled and stalked towards Shinso, his mouth moving as he yelled something towards the General Studies student.

"No!" I exclaimed, but it was too late. I watched as Midoriya suddenly froze, his body going slack and his eyes glazing over. Shinso grinned triumphantly as the crowd went quiet, everyone wondering what had just happened. I slumped against the wall, waves of nausea and guilt pounding me as Midoriya, at Shinso's command, turned and began to shuffle towards the boundary.

"This is all my fault…" I murmured, grabbing fistfuls of my hair and pulling. I wanted to look away, but my eyes were transfixed on Midoriya as he walked to his defeat. I could hear the voices of my classmates and Present Mic as they wondered aloud what Midoriya was doing, and urged him to stop. I covered my ears with my hands and screwed my eyes shut, trying to drown them all out.

"This is all my fault…" I said again, horrified with what I had done. "I should have told him...I should have told him...I should have told him…" I said over and over again as Midoriya grew painstakingly closer to the edge of the ring. The cries of alarm and confusion grew louder as Midoriya showed no signs of stopping, though he was only a few steps from throwing the match. I opened my eyes and forced myself to watch what I had wrought as my friend stepped closer to his defeat. He stood three steps away from the line…

...then two…

...then one…

I couldn't take it. I looked away as Midoriya lifted up his foot to step over the line and lose the fight, unable to bring myself to watch Midoriya any more.

Suddenly, there was a loud report and a rush of wind swept over me, the crowd gasping in surprise. My eyes flew open and I stared in shock at the scene below me. Midoriya stood doubled over, gasping as beads of sweat dripped off his face. His feet were planted firmly on the concrete in front of the line. He had never crossed. I peered closer and saw that two of the fingers on his left hand were purple and bleeding, very obviously broken.

I sighed/sobbed in relief as I realized what had happened. Somehow, miraculously, Midoriya had managed to use his quirk to flick the fingers on his left hand, breaking them and shocking himself out of the trance.

Shinso's spell had been broken.

Shinso looked at Midoriya in stunned silence, his mouth hanging open as Midoriya turned to face him.

The crowd began cheering again as Midoriya sunk back into a fighting stance, a new look of determination and knowing on his face. I saw Shinso's mouth move, and although I couldn't hear the words I knew exactly what he said, for it was what I was thinking too.

"How'd you do that?!"

I didn't know how Midoriya had been able to break free from Shinso's mind control, but for the moment I didn't care. I was just happy that he had.

I grinned as I saw Midoriya clap a hand over his own mouth, much to Shinso's outrage. Shinso began yelling at Midoriya, doing everything that he could to get him to talk again. But it was no use. Midoriya knew exactly what Shinso's quirk was now, and with that knowledge at his disposal the fight was as good as over.

Midoriya suddenly darted forward, crossing the ring in seconds. Shinso was screaming now, anger and desperation plain on his face as Midoriya grabbed his shoulders and began to shove him towards the boundary. Now Midoriya's advantage in strength showed, as he pushed Shinso closer and closer to the edge of the ring despite Shinso's struggling. Shinso continued to yell out Midoriya as he began to hammer him, punching the top of his head and his face in an effort to get him off.

The crowd and I exclaimed as Shinso punched Midoriya's broken fingers, causing him to lose his grip and allowing Shinso to get behind him and start forcing him out of the ring. Midoriya was clearly in pain from the blow to his broken fingers, and he couldn't fight out of Shinso's grip with only one good hand.

Something came over me then. In that moment, as Midoriya was mere inches from the line and on his way out, a sudden urge of purpose filled every ounce of my being. Midoriya needed me, and somehow I knew what to do. I ran to the barrier and, leaning across it, yelled:

"MIDORIYA! GO BEYOND!"

Maybe it was just good timing. Maybe Midoriya just managed to find his second wind. Maybe he really did hear me call out to him through the maelstrom of noise. I'll never know what really happened, but suddenly Midoriya's eyes shone with new strength and his backward progress stopped. Reaching up and grasping Shinso with both hands, he roared and flipped Shinso over himself and threw him onto his back.

On the other side of the boundary line.

The crowd went ballistic, everyone on their feet screaming in delight and celebration as Midoriya stood panting over Shinso, who lay stunned on the ground. I grinned and cheered right along with them, relief coursing through me. He had done it. Midoriya had beaten Shinso, and was moving on to the next round.

I turned to look at my classmates, who were all on their feet cheering for Midoriya enthusiastically. Well, almost all of them. Bakugou remained seated, sneering at his old frienemy with distaste. And Todoroki…

He stood as well, but his hands hung at his sides and his mouth was a grim line. And his eyes weren't on Midoriya.

They were on me. A chill went down my spine as he broke eye contact and walked out of the student section and descended into the tunnels, obviously heading towards the ring. I swallowed and took a deep breath, the elation from Midoriya's win gone in an instant. Midoriya's fight was over and in the books…

...which meant that it was my turn.

XXX

The crowd cheered in stomped their feet as I walked up the concrete steps to my side of the ring, but all I could hear was a faint buzz. I was practically vibrating with nervous energy as I ascended, and I didn't know if I wanted to throw up or dance a jig. My fight or flight systems were going haywire, and I felt like all my senses were dialed up to eleven. I felt as if I could count every individual grain in the cement at my feet, and the sun shining above us felt both unbearably hot and dreadfully bright.

' _This is it...the ultimate test of how far I've come as a hero.'_ I thought. Everything was riding on the outcome of this fight. My pride. My future as a hero. My future at U.A.. I couldn't lose. I wouldn't lose. It was time to show the world who I really was.

As I climbed the final step and took my place in the ring, Present Mic's voice boomed:

"HE WAS THE 2ND PLACE FINISHER IN THE OBSTACLE RACE AND ONE OF THE 3RD PLACE FINISHERS IN THE CAVALRY BATTLE! WE'VE ALREADY SEEN HIM HOLD HIS OWN AGAINST THE OTHER POWERHOUSES OF HIS CLASS, BUT LET'S SEE HOW HE DOES 1 ON 1! LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, CLASS 1-A'S OWN SUPERSONIC SPEEDSTER, KOKUREEEEEEE SHIAMASUUUUUU!"

Unable to help myself, I punched the air with my fist and tried to give the crowd a brave smile. I don't know how the smile/nervous grimace looked to them, but the fist pump certainly seemed to be effective enough if the cheering was anything to go by.

' _So this is what it was like to be a gladiator.'_ I thought as I spun in a slow circle, waving and fist-pumping for the crowd, trying to soak in all of their encouragement and enthusiasm. ' _It's all about making sure they don't know how scared you really are.'_

And one thing was for sure...I was scared. Scared, nervous, and itching to get the fight underway. Present Mic began talking just as I finished my little act of showmanship, and I took a far more stoic stance as he announced the arrival of my opponent.

"AND NOW FOR HIS OPPONENT! THE THIRD PLACE FINISHER IN THE OBSTACLE RACE AND THE LEADER OF THE FIRST PLACE TEAM IN THE CAVALRY BATTLE, THIS KID HAS A QUIRK FOR ANY OCCASION! HE'S COLD AS ICE, YET BURNS WITH THE HEAT OF A SUN! THE SON OF THE NUMBER TWO HERO, ENDEAVOR, AND ONE OF THE FAVORITES TO WIN THIS YEAR'S GAMES: LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, GIVE IT UP FOR SHOTOOOO TODOROKII!"

Todoroki didn't so much as bat an eye at the explosive cheers of the crowd as he finished his own climb up the stairs. He just eyed me down, his face and stance completely neutral. While I was all but trembling with nervous energy, Todoroki seemed as relaxed as if he was at home watching TV. No sweat, no clenching of the fists or jaw, no appealing to the crowd; nothing.

I hated him for it.

How dare he not show any sign of emotion at all for our fight. The sheer level of self control he had was astounding to me, and I find it profoundly disrespectful to the crowd, the games, and myself. We were classmates for God sakes, he could have at least raised an eyebrow at me, or nodded, or done _anything._

But then, he surprised me.

"This is nothing personal, Shiamasu," Todoroki said, his voice cutting through the sea of noise between us like a winter wind. "I'll try to make this quick, for both of our sakes."

Outraged, I yelled back: "Oh yeah, Todoroki? Just try to keep up; I wouldn't want you to blink and miss your own defeat!"

That seemed to amuse him, and the corner of his mouth twitched up for a moment before his face resumed its usual blankness.

"COMPETITORS, ARE YOU READY?" Present Mic boomed. I sank into my fighting stance, my eyes locked on Todoroki. He also got ready, bending his knees and flexing his right hand experimentally.

"THREE…!"

I exhaled, forcing all other thoughts and distractions out of my head along with the used up oxygen and from my lungs.

' _Here we go…'_

"TWO…!"

Todoroki and I locked eyes one last time.

"ONE…!"

I took a breath, getting the words ready as I reached for my power.

"BEGIN!" Present Mic screamed.

 **Hey guys! Thanks to all of you who read this update, I hope you liked it! Please let me know in the reviews if you think there is anything that I could do better with this story or with my writing in general, and don't be afraid to send me a PM if you have any specific requests or questions for me. If you're new to this story and like what you see, then let me know by following/favoriting, as your support is what gives me the motivation and inspiration I need. Now, the reviews:**

 **Lord Terronus: Hello again! It's always a pleasure to see your name in the reviews for Boosted. As for Phobia/Ryuketsu's age, that was tricky for me. I know that he's meant to be in his twenties/late teens and is obviously older than the other teenage protagonists, but I just struggled to convey that in writing. Young Adult was too wordy, and I couldn't think of any other way to describe him, so I went with teen, knowing full well that it was likely to cause confusion. Just something I need to work on. I'm glad that you appreciate the little nuances I try to give characters, it's something that I've found helps slow down the pace of the story and allows you to savor it a bit more. As far as this story being published as a book: I think they have laws against that or something like that. But if Kohei Horikoshi were to some day read this I think I would just about die. Plus Ultra to you, my friend!**

 **AnonChan1: Nice to see you here, Anon! I'm glad that you were able to find the time to read this story, and I hope it's up to par so far. Your play-by-play commentary of the entire story is awesome! You're one of the few I've seen on this site I've seen who does that, and I have to say: I dig it. It means a lot that you're willing to go through the tedious process of pausing you're reading so often to make a little note on your thoughts. I hope you continue to read for Feli's appearance!**

 **That's all for now, see you all on the flipside!**


	23. Sports Festival pt 7: Speed vs Ice

" _Finally done!" I said with a triumphant sigh, flopping onto my back in the grass. I closed my eyes and breathed in the fresh spring air, basking in the warmth of the setting sun and my feeling of accomplishment. Clutched in one of my hands was a sheaf of papers, each covered in headshots and complicated graphs and charts. "It took all day, but now I have at least one strategy for every possible opponent I could have in the finals. Nobody is going to catch me by surprise now."_

" _Yeah, you're welcome by the way," Chi's head suddenly popped into view, her sky-blue hair shining in the late afternoon late. A playful smile tugged on her lips as I gently pushed her out of my light. "I did all of the heavy lifting."_

" _First of all: wrong." I retorted without sitting up. "Second, I'm the one who's competing, not you. You get to sit in the stands and eat delicious festival food as I get beaten to a pulp for the viewing pleasure of the world. Now, let me enjoy myself for these last few hours before the festival starts tomorrow; I think I've earned it after all the Hell you put me through this past two weeks."_

" _And you're welcome for that too!" Chi replied with a laugh. There was a moment of comfortable silence as the two of us sat and reflected on the past two weeks. The sleepless nights, the crappy meals, the bruises...those hadn't been fun. But at the same time, I'd proven to myself that I could overcome the obstacle of my own quirk's backlash, and that my power wasn't as set in stone as I thought. In just two weeks I had made progress in leaps and bounds, and the future was looking bright._

 _And the company wasn't half bad either._

" _Hey, Speedy," Chi said, breaking the silence. "Are you sure we're done?"_

" _Positive," I replied. "We covered everyone: comprehensive strategic analysis of every other first year competing and how I can beat them."_

" _You sure about that?" There was a sudden rustle of paper, and a face was thrust into view once again, only this time it wasn't Chi's face. My eyes widened at the sight of the mismatched pair of eyes and horrific scar on the page in front of me, and a cold ball of dismay suddenly filled my gut._

" _How could we have missed him?" I asked, incredulous._

" _Don't ask me, Speedy. The better question is: how are you going to beat him?"_

 _Any remaining traces of relaxation and accomplishment melted away as I sat up and took the page from Chi. My mouth filled with the bitter taste of dread as I looked at the abnormally high stats that dotted the report._

" _I just don't know…" I murmured. "He can control ice and fire at will, with no obvious limit to his quirk. My only option would be to Boost high enough so that I can end it before he has a chance to retaliate, but if I do then I'll be down for the count for the later matches."_

" _Okay, then we just have to find a way for you to win without Boosting that high," Chi said, her voice filled with the determined steel of my tutor._

" _Easier said than done."_

" _Look, you can sit here and complain for the rest of the night and get your butt handed to you tomorrow, or you can put your fancy U.A. thinking cap on and help me. Your choice."_

 _I sighed, thoroughly wanting to sink into self-pity, but knowing that she was right. Chi waited patiently as I crossed my legs and straightened my back, taking up a meditative pose._

 _This was the process we used when coming up for the other strategies. I could go in to a kind of trance, focusing on visioning a fight between myself and whoever we were analyzing at that time. Chi would ask my hypothetical questions or launch scenarios at me, and I'd have to figure out a way to win._

 _With my eyes closed and my breathing even, I nodded at Chi._

" _Okay," her disembodied voice entered my consciousness. "The fight just began. What is Todoroki going to do for his first move?"_

 _I breathed deeply, an image taking shape in my mind. It started off murky, like the bottom of a pond through muddy water. But gradually the picture cleared, and suddenly I wasn't sitting in a park at sunset with Chi, but standing across from Todoroki in a the middle of a packed stadium, ready to fight. I could almost hear Present Mic's voice echoing away as Todoroki began to move._

" _His first move…" I murmured._

XXXXX

' _His first move is going to be a massive attack!'_

"Boost: Level 3!" I roared, feeling my power surge through my body as time suddenly spasmed and slowed slightly. I was fast, but Todoroki was faster. The words hadn't even left my mouth before he slammed his right hand onto the ground, an enormous wall of ice rising from the ground in front of him, rushing towards me like a tsunami. The ice, nearly three stories tall by the time it had crossed half of the ring, blocked out the sun as it bore down on me. I'm sure that it was quite a sight, but I had no time to admire the display of raw power from Todoroki.

His the speed and power of his opening move was impressive, but it was still too slow. There was a slim gap that I could squeeze around on the right side of the ice wall, and I darted towards it just as the wall of ice began to crest and rush down to crush me. The ground shook and I was nearly thrown off my feet as the ice wall crashed into the ground where I had been only a moment before, sending a shockwave of frozen mist and ice chips all around. The crowd cheered and gasped in equal parts, astounded by Todoroki's ferocity and unsure if I had just been beaten so soon.

"WHAT A STUNNING SHOW OF POWER BY TODOROKI!" Present Mic boomed. "DID SHIAMASU GET OUT OF THE WAY IN TIME, OR WAS HE CRUSHED?! IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST!"

"Just watch," Mr. Aizawa said.

The crowd held its breath as the thick mist created from Todoroki's attack settled onto the ring, hiding it from view. The mist swirled around Todoroki as he stood up and peered into the mist, looking at the devastation of his attack. A third of the ring was now completely covered by a layer of jagged ice nearly a story thick, and shards of ice were scattered like across the other two thirds like shells on a beach. But, it still wasn't good enough. He narrowed his eyes as I stepped out from behind a pillar of ice, unharmed. I made a big show of looking over my shoulder at the aftermath of Todoroki's attack.

"You know, you should really be more careful," I commented, pointing over my shoulder with my thumb. "Anyone else probably would have been crushed by that attack." I grinned as the crowd began to cheer enthusiastically, thrilled by my miraculous escape.

"What makes you think I wanted that?" Todoroki said.

The smile fell off my face as I realized the implications of his words. I whirled around, peering into the mist around us. At first I couldn't see anything besides the massive ice shelf, but as the mist began to clear I began to make out a shape. My eyes widened as I spun in a circle, the shape becoming more defined and obvious. Certain now that my eyes weren't playing tricks on me, I set my face into a more serious expression and faced Todoroki, sinking into a fighting stance.

All around us, completely encircling the ring, was a massive wall of crystal clear ice. Todoroki had sealed us both inside the ring.

"So that massive attack was just a distraction," I said. "You don't want me to be able to force you out of the ring, so you trapped us both to force me to have to get in close and fight you."

"I'm done talking to you," Todoroki replied. "Your quirk makes you smarter, doesn't it? Figure it out on your own." I flushed with anger at Todoroki's arrogance, all pretenses of confident humor gone. If he wanted a fight, then he would sure as Hell get one.

"Boost: Level 4!"

I dashed towards Todoroki, covering the distance between us in a flash as I accelerated to 200 mph. Todoroki was only just starting to bring up his guard by the time I reached him. His reaction time was impressive, but still woefully too slow to be able to counter me.

' _I hope this hurts.'_ I thought. My fist hit Todoroki's cheek like a sledgehammer, driving him back several steps as his head whipped to the side. I pressed my advantage, throwing a lightning combination of punches at him wherever his guard wasn't. He tried to anticipate my blows, but with my quirk at level 4 I was able to change the direction of my attacks before his blocks could become effective.

The crowd was on its feet as I drove Todoroki back further and further, pounding his head and body. By the time his back had hit the wall, he was hunched over with his arms bent at his sides like a boxer.

"I CAN HARDLY BELIEVE WHAT I'M SEEING!" Present Mic said. "TODOROKI, ONE OF THE FAVORITES FOR THE FESTIVAL, IS BEING COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED BY SHIAMASU'S SPEED! SUCH STRENGTH! SUCH FEROCITY! HOW MUCH LONGER CAN TODOROKI HOLD ON?!"

Todoroki, gasping with pain and exertion, tried to counter attack with a wild haymaker which I easily avoided and countered with an elbow to his now exposed ribs. His breath whistled out of him and his eyes bulged as he bent over, his arms pressed against the wall for support, leaving himself completely exposed. It was over.

"This is it for you, Todoroki!" I yelled triumphantly, cocking my fist back to deliver the final blow.

Something glittered in my peripheral vision.

I tried leaping out of the way, but three spears of ice managed to gouge three bloody tracks diagonally down my chest. I backpedaled away from Todoroki, one hand pressed against my chest as I winced in pain. Blood dripped between my fingers and splattered against the ground as I glared at Todoroki, who was shakily getting to his feet.

Five razor sharp pillars of ice were impaled in the spot where I had stood, having branched out from the wall above my head, outside of my field of vision.

"I'm sorry about that," Todoroki said, steadying himself against the wall with his right hand as he wiped his bloody mouth with his left. "I overdid it."

"You think?" I replied, wheezing slightly from the pain. "You're going to pay for that."

"No," Todoroki said, straightening. "It's time I ended this. My fight isn't with you, Shiamasu."

Before I could reply, a thin layer of ice rushed out from Todoroki's feet, racing across the arena towards me. I jumped right before it reached me, the ice passing harmlessly beneath me.

' _He must be hurt worse than he's letting in on.'_ I thought. ' _That attack has no chance of hitting me.'_

I smirked at Todoroki as I landed.

"That's it?" Todoroki didn't reply. I shrugged, shaking my head. I sank into a runner's stance. "Your funera-"

My foot slipped with an almost comical slurping sound as soon as it hit the ground and I fell flat on my face. My face burned with anger and embarrassment as the crowd began to laugh.

' _Idiot!'_ I berated myself. ' _He wasn't trying to freeze you; he was trying to freeze the ground!'_ I didn't have time to linger on that thought though. I sprang away on all fours like a cat as a wall of ice spikes surged up from the ground where I had been. Another wave of spikes was already headed towards me by the time I landed, forcing me to jump to the side again.

This time, instead of jumping away when I landed I tried to run again, but my feet only slipped on the ice.

"IT LOOKS LIKE THE TABLES HAVE TURNED COMPLETELY!" Present Mic roared.

"Shiamasu is fast, but Todoroki clearly has more combat experience," Mr. Aizawa said. "He found a way to use Shiamasu's speed against him. By turning the entire arena into an ice rink, he made it so that Shiamasu's speed put himself at a disadvantage. Now he's too fast, so he can't get any traction."

' _I could do without the constant narration!'_ I thought, gritting my teeth as I dodged another one of Todoroki's attacks. I needed to figure out a way to counter attack, and fast. The only thing that was keeping me in the fight was that I had gotten so many solid hits on Todoroki early, making his attacks a little weaker and slower than they would have been otherwise. But every second I dodged was another second for Todoroki to recover. I couldn't afford to keep dodging forever.

' _I can't wait for the sun to melt the ice, and I don't have any ranged attacks like he does. I can't run, I can't fight...what do I do?!'_

I took cover behind a jagged pillar of ice, kicking myself as Todoroki sent another attack my way.

' _How could Chi and I not have seen this coming? Turning my power against myself...I should have known he would do this. Stupid stupid stupid...what's the point of reading all those books on physics if your opponent is going to use one of the most basic principles of friction against you-'_

My eyes widened.

"That's it!" I exclaimed. Grabbing the pillar with both hands, I began to rub my feet back and forth across the ice as fast as I could. Tiny shards of ice flew up as I furiously dug into the ice. The pillar of ice shook as another attacked slammed into it, cracks forming around it.

"Come on come on come on-" I said. I lurched forward suddenly, my feet grinding against cement. "Yes!"

I was now standing on in a small strip of cement, the ice worn away by the friction I had created with my feet. It wasn't much, but it was just enough to give me a start. I backed up as far as I could, then darted forward, jumping as I ran out of cement.

I landed and slid along the ice like an ice skater, gliding straight towards the wall. I wasn't at full speed, but it was enough. Todoroki tried another ranged ice attack, but it was too slow and passed harmlessly behind me. I crouched as the wall raced to meet me.

I jumped, doing a 180 in mid air, landing with both feet planted against the wall. With a grunt, I launched myself off the wall, moving even faster now than I was before. I practically flew across the ice towards the opposite wall, rebounding against it in the same way, increasing my speed even more.

"LOOK AT SHIAMASU GO!" Present Mic said. "HOW'D HE GET SO FAST WITHOUT RUNNING, ERASERHEAD? I CAN BARELY KEEP UP!"

"Just shut up and watch," Mr. Aizawa replied.

As I ricocheted off the opposite wall for the third time, I glanced at Todoroki. His right side glistened in the sun from frost and ice, and his breaths streamed out of his mouth in icy plumes. I frowned, confused. It was as if he was freezing himself solid.

' _What's he doing?'_ Todoroki attacked again, but this wave of ice was even slower than the others, and the ice covering Todoroki visibly expanded.

' _Think, Speedy,'_ I could practically feel Chi rapping on the top of my head as her voice filled my head. ' _Remember what Midoriya told you? He's not using his fire quirk. What does that tell you?'_

' _No fire... so that ice must be a result of that! He can't keep warm without his fire - he's freezing himself solid!'_

' _Bingo. Now go get him!'_

This time, instead of rebounding back towards the opposite wall again, I redirected myself towards one of the slimmer pillars of ice. I reached out and grabbed it with both hands, grunting as the centripetal force strained my arms and shoulders as I whipped around the pillar.

With a grunt of exertion, I let go of the pillar, now flying straight for Todoroki like a rocket. His eyes widened and he brought up his right hand to block me, but it was too late.

I lowered my shoulder and tackled him, wrapping my arms around his waist. We slid across the ice, rolling around, each of us trying to get the upper hand. I jammed my fist into Todoroki's side, causing him to cry out in pain and go limp long enough for me to get on top of him.

I clasped my hands together, raising them high above my head.

"It's over!" I yelled, bringing my fists down.

Time seemed to slow down to a crawl, one moment stretching out into many. The cheering of the crowd was a faded buzz in the background, as was Present Mic's crazed narration. I could feel my knees digging into Todoroki's chest, the tough yet pliable tissue of his muscle beneath me. A bead of blood was running down his face leaving a red streak across his cheek.

As my fists crept closer to his face, Todoroki met my eyes. My blood went cold. There wasn't a trace of fear or desperation in them. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards.

XXXXX

 _Todoroki sat with his back to the wall, refusing to look at the man pacing in front of him. They were in a ready room identical to the one that Todoroki and his classmates had been in before the start of the festival. Midoriya's fight had just ended, and the school was doing some quick maintenance on the ring before his own fight._

" _So, Shoto" The man said, his voice a low growl, like the sound of gravel. "Do you have a plan for this fight?"_

 _Todoroki considered not answering. Just the sound of the man's voice was enough to make his skin crawl. But he knew that if he didn't reply then it would only enrage him, making the rest of the conversation all the more difficult. His father was difficult enough to deal with when he was in a good mood, which wasn't often, and Todoroki had no desire to prolong this conversation any more than he had to._

" _Yes," Todoroki finally said._

" _And will you use your fire?"_

" _No."_

 _The flame's covering Endeavor's head and shoulders flared as his eyes narrowed. Todoroki relished the look of fury on his face, savoring the feeling of disobedience._

" _I created you, Shoto," Endeavor growled. "I gave you the fire that burns on your left side so that you could surpass me. You will never be the hero that I want you to be if you continue to defy me."_

" _Maybe I don't want to be the hero you want me to be, dad."_

 _Todoroki didn't even flinch as a jet of fire flew past his head, scorching the wall next to him. The smell of smoke and charred metal and plastic filled the room as Endeavor lowered his arm. The flames covering his body were taller now, billowing erratically, mirroring his emotions._

" _You will be the hero that I created you to be," he said, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "Perhaps you will be stubborn for the time being, but someday there will come a time when you will have to use your fire. And when you do, you will see the true extent of your power, and you will know how much of a fool you were to reject it."_

 _Todoroki stayed silent, staring at the floor between his feet. Endeavor stared at his son, waiting. Eventually, the flames surrounding his head began to smolder and shrink. Inwardly, Todoroki sighed with relief. The danger had past._

" _Fine then," Endeavor said. "But, can you defeat this classmate of yours without my fire? His quirk is superspeed, correct?"_

" _Yes," Todoroki said._

" _And you know the extent of his speed then?"_

" _Yes…" Todoroki thought back to the USJ, the way Shiamasu had moved to save Bakugou, so fast that he could barely see him. He also remembered the class quirk test the first day of school, the way Shiamasu had ran, but not nearly as fast as he did that day at the USJ._

 _Todoroki knew that Shiamasu could manipulate his speed, and while he wasn't sure how fast his top speed was, he did know one thing..._

" _So this plan of yours," Endeavor began. "Since you know his speed, you believe it will work?"_

 _For the first time since Endeavor walked in, Todoroki stood and met his father's gaze with an icy glare of his own._

" _Yes, it will work."_

 _...he knew how Shiamasu did it._

XXXXX

Ice blossomed from Todoroki's chest, freezing my knee to him. The shock of the sudden move threw my aim off, so my two handed blow missed his head. In that moment, I was vulnerable. Unable to jump or run away, and overextended from my failed attack, I was completely exposed to a counterattack.

My eyes widened as Todoroki's hand moved faster than I had ever seen it, so fast that even my brain at level 4 only saw a blur as he reached up and grasped my mouth with his right hand. Immediately, I felt a freezing burn on my face as Todoroki froze my mouth shut.

I smacked Todoroki's hand away with one hand and punched my knee with my other, breaking free of the ice. I leapt away from my opponent as more spears of ice erupted from the ground around Todoroki, slicing the air where I had been.

' _Crap, this is bad!'_ I thought in a panic, desperately jumping away from another blast of ice, which was somehow much faster than all of his other attacks had been. A minute ago his attacks were slower, sloppier. I thought that the pain from my initial attack as well as the backlash of his own quirk was getting to him, but now his attacks were faster and more precise than ever. It was all I could do to avoid them and stay on my feet.

' _My mouth is frozen shut, so I can't boost any higher!'_ I thought as one attack came closer than any of the others had, missing my foot by a hair. ' _This was his plan the entire time! He wanted me to attack him so that he could freeze my mouth shut and keep me from getting any faster! The ring of ice, the frozen ground, even faking getting worn out: this was all a part of it!'_

I took cover behind one of walls of jagged ice from an earlier attack, trying desperately to think of a plan. I tried clawing at the ice on my face, but it was as if it was super glued to my face. If I tried punching it off, I would only hurt myself and probably break a few teeth.

' _Dammit! Chi and I were so careful, I thought we had planned for every eventuality! But Todoroki...he's on a totally different level! He had every single instant of this fight planned out from the beginning! The analytic power of his mind is staggering! What do I do?!'_

I was shocked from my panicked monologue as the ice wall I was crouched behind suddenly exploded, completely decimated by a massive pillar of ice. I rolled out of the way, sliding towards another wall I could take cover behind. My only chance was to do the same thing I had done earlier, bouncing against the walls to build speed and then attack Todoroki faster than he could avoid it.

The moment I was behind the wall, it exploded just like the other one did, forcing me to jump away again. Todoroki was keeping me away from anything I could use to propel off of. I looked around desperately for something I could use, and realized to my horror that he was gradually guiding me towards the corner of the ring. Soon, I would be trapped.

I felt a rising sense of panic, and I was suddenly aware of a growing pressure in my chest. For a moment I thought it was just panic, but I quickly realized what it actually was. My lungs were crying out for air.

With my mouth frozen shut, I could only breath in and out through my nose, and as a result I wasn't getting enough oxygen. All of the running and jumping was putting too much strain on my body, and I wasn't supplying it with enough oxygen to maintain it.

Even as these thoughts crossed my mind, I felt my body grow heavier. My vision swam, and my legs suddenly felt as if they were filling with lead.

' _No! It can't end like this!'_ I thought, trying to force my body to cooperate. But it was no use. I was backed into a corner with a failing body and no way to escape. Even from across the ring, I could see the triumphant gleam in Todoroki's mismatched eyes.

I watched in horror as he lifted his right hand high above his head, then brought it done with the finality of a judge's gavel. A wall of ice as big as his first attack rose up from the ground around his hand, racing towards me as the cheering of the crowd reached a crescendo.

I thought of how much Chi and I had trained for today. The sleepless nights, the constant stress, the fear of failing. We had both worked so hard for me to get here, and now it was all going to be for nothing. It was over. I had failed. Just like how I failed during the team-based combat test with Kirishima. Just like how I failed to stop Ryuketsu from escaping the USJ.

No matter what I did, no matter how badly I wanted it, I always failed. I was tired of it. I was sick of trying. Why did I put so much in if I always came up short in the end? Why even bother? Maybe I…

...Maybe I just wasn't cut out to be a hero.

I relaxed as Todoroki's final attack raced closer. I knew it, and so did everyone else. It was over. I searched the crowd one last time, looking for Chi. Maybe I could give her one last sad smile before Todoroki blew me away. Tell her with my eyes that I was grateful for all of the work she put in for me, and that I was sorry that I couldn't win.

' _I'm sorry,'_ I would say. ' _I'm just not good enough.'_

I looked, but I couldn't see Chi.

Who I could see though, was Midoriya. He was standing up in his seat with my other classmates, cheering loudly. I could see the concern on his face, the worried look in his eyes. I couldn't hear him over the deafening screams of the crowd, but I could see my name on his lips, long with two other words. Maybe it was just my oxygen starved brain playing tricks on me, but suddenly I could hear him as clearly as if he was standing right next to me, yelling in my ear.

"Shiamasu! Go beyond!"

Midoriya was still cheering me on. Even though it seemed hopeless. Even though I was seconds away from defeat, Midoriya still believed in me. His spirit was indomitable. No matter how hard things got, no matter how bad the situation was, he never gave up. How could I call myself his classmate - no, his peer - if I gave up?

Midoriya's will was the spark of hope I needed, and I felt new strength surge into my body. As Todoroki's final attack loomed over me, I reached into myself, calling out silently for something...anything.

I reached out...and Boosted.

XXX

The ice wall crashed into the ground, causing a massive tremor as it landed. Just like when his very first attack landed, icy shrapnel flew out from the point of impact and a freezing mist billowed out across the ring. The boom was so loud that Todoroki covered his ears, and the crowd fell into a stunned silence. Even Todoroki was unsure of himself. Maybe he had overdid it. He wanted to win, but he didn't want to kill anyone. Especially not a classmate.

Todoroki looked up at the raised platform to where Cementoss and Midnight were standing with looks of horrified surprise on their faces. A chill went down his spine.

"Oh no…" he whispered.

"IS...IS IT OVER?" Present Mic said. "THAT ATTACK...DID TODOROKI WIN?"

Eraserhead stayed silent, his eyes fixed on the ring. He wasn't sure, but he thought he had seen something as the ice hit the ground. He couldn't be sure though. It was a flash of a flash, barely a fraction of a second. But still…

As the mist swirling around the ring began to clear, Todoroki's eyes were drawn to patches of darkness on the ground. It was difficult to see through the mist, but as it cleared away the patches became more discernable, their shapes and sizes clearer. Todoroki's eyes widened. Leading from the base of the new mountain of ice that Todoroki had created was a trail of footprints. A trail that led straight to Todoroki, and circled behind him.

"WAIT, I THINK I SEE SOMETHING DOWN THERE!" Present Mic said. "CAN IT BE…?!"

The crowd, which had been shocked into a horrified stupor at the thought of a student's death, began to cheer with renewed zeal.

Todoroki didn't need to turn around to know who was standing behind him, completely unharmed.

"Impressive…" was all he had time to say before Shiamasu's fist slammed into his side faster than the human eye could perceive, sending him flying like a ragdoll into the ring of ice he had created.

XXX

I reached out and grabbed hold of my power. I didn't care how much of it I took, or how I was even able to grab it at all without saying the trigger words, I just Boosted. Time whiplashed as everything suddenly became monumentally slower, my brain accessing parts of itself that before today had only been awakened one other time. It felt like fire was being poured into my veins as my quirk took hold, my entire body going rigid as energy and power flowed through me. A moment later it passed, and I was able to move freely again. I looked up at Todoroki's attack, which a second ago seemed to be moving faster than I could avoid it. Now it seemed completely frozen, as if locked in place. I looked up at the crowd, which was similarly stuck in place. To my eyes, they were all stopped in place, frozen in time. Even the cheers sounded completely different. The noise sounded lower, muted, more drawn out. I knew what had happened, what I had done.

' _A level 7 Boost without using the trigger words…'_ I thought in awe. The implications of this were staggering, but I had no time to consider the new possibilities of my barely understood power. I only had 55 seconds at level 7, so I needed to end this fight and get to the ready room so I could have some of Chi's healing spit in my system before I released the hold on my power. At level 7, the recoil of Boost would be extreme. Complete body failure for 72 hours, just like it had all those years ago. I hoped that Chi's spit would dampen the backlash of my quirk enough that I could still participate in the next round of the fight, but that would have to wait. First, I had to win this fight.

I reached up and rubbed my hand across the ice on my face. At 1500 miles per hour, nearly as fast as a bullet and twice as fast as the speed of sound, the friction created by a single swipe of my hand across the ice was enough that the ice melted almost instantaneously, practically sublimating.

My mouth now free, I took a huge breath, relieving the pressure in my chest as I filled my lungs with delicious air. Now for the next part.

I took a step forward, hoping that I wouldn't slip again. But, instead of my foot landing on ice, it landed on cement. I looked down and saw tendrils of mist begin to drift lazily around my foot as the ice beneath it melted.

' _Fascinating,'_ I thought. ' _I'm moving so fast that I'm generating friction between my body and the air, making a kind of heat shield, melting the ice beneath my feet with every step. Very very interesting, perhaps with further study I can-'_

I shook my head, forcing myself to focus. At such an elevated state of awareness and intelligence, my brain was able to interpret and understand more than it ever could at a normal state. But as a result everything I saw was becoming infinitely more interesting, more full of possibilities. I had to be careful not to go down the rabbit hole of my own perception.

I drew my attention back to the fight. There was a small opening around the side of the attack, which I ran towards. I took a moment to admire the crystalline structure of the ice as I passed by the attack, marveling at the way the ice grew like a living creature as it crawled to the place where I had been.

Now safe on the other side of the attack, I made my way over to Todoroki, taking up a position behind him. Sure, I could have ended it right then and there, but this was a spectator sport. These people had paid good money to be here for this event, so I wanted to give them a little more of a show. I also needed to draw it out a little further so that I could give the pros in the stands a good look at my power. They needed to see how powerful I truly was, see my potential as a hero.

Todoroki, Bakugou, Midoriya: they had all already proved their power. Everyone knew that they were the powerhouses of our class. They were the three who had the most potential with their quirks and abilities, the ones who everyone could see were destined to become the great heroes of the future.

Now, it was my turn to show the world who I was.

XXX

Todoroki's lungs emptied with a violent whistle as he collided with the ring of ice. He fell to his knees, coughing and wheezing, his lungs crying out for air and his body screaming in pain. Todoroki looked up at Shiamasu, who was standing in the same spot, looking at him. There wasn't a trace of anger in his eyes. In fact, there wasn't a trace of any emotion in his eyes. Just a look of detachment.

Suddenly, Shiamasu's form wavered as if he was a reflection on a surface of water, and then he was standing right in front of Todoroki.

Todoroki didn't even have time to be surprised before Shiamasu grabbed him and threw him across the ring like a baseball, sending him flying against the other side of the ring. Todoroki cried out as he collided with the ice, feeling it crack and fracture against his back. This was unreal. Todoroki knew Shiamasu was fast, but he had no idea that he could move like this. He couldn't even see him move, not so much as a blur. He had completely underestimated his classmate.

' _Shiamasu, just how strong are you?'_ Todoroki thought before Shiamasu appeared in front of him again.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE WHAT I'M SEEING!" Present Mic yelled as Todoroki was sent flying across the ring again and again by Shiamasu's attacks, which were so fast that Present Mic, nor anyone else for that matter, could even see them. "SHIAMASU HAS COMPLETELY TURNED THE TABLES ON TODOROKI, PULLING OUT A BURST OF SPEED THAT NO ONE SAW COMING! ERASERHEAD, DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS!?"

"I knew that Shiamasu could access this kind of speed, but before now he was unwilling to do it," Eraserhead replied. "None of his classmates have ever seen this level of speed from Shiamasu, so of course Todoroki had no idea that he could move this fast. That being said, Todoroki did know that Shiamasu used his voice to alter his speed, which is why he froze his mouth shut. Despite not knowing the true extent of his speed, Todoroki knew that if he could keep him from accessing any more of his power, then he could win."

"However, Shiamasu miraculously was able to access more of his quirk without his voice, a feat that I have never seen from him before today," Eraserhead continued. "In fact, I don't even think Shiamasu himself knew it was possible. His desperation and desire to beat Todoroki are what brought this about. What we're now seeing is the growth of a student. Shiamasu has just taken another step closer to his ultimate goal of being a hero. It's moments like this one that are what make the Sports Festival so special, and are why U.A. exists in the first place. We're here to guide the next generation of heroes. To help them grow. To help them learn. To help them go beyond."

"YOU HEARD IT HERE FOLKS, IT TURNS OUT THAT ERASERHEAD ISN'T SUCH A TERRIBLE TEACHER AFTER ALL!"

Eraserhead sighed heavily.

XXX

I looked down at Todoroki, who was on his knees in front of me. Blood dripped down his face from his nose and scalp, and one eye was swollen shut. I couldn't see them, but I knew his body was a mess of bruises and welts. I hoped I hadn't broken any of his bones, but I couldn't be sure. I was sure of one thing though: it was over. Todoroki had no chance of winning, and from the way his shoulders were slumped he knew it too.

I savored the taste of victory for a moment, then spat and wiped my mouth. All I could taste was sweat and blood, which taste nothing like victory. Regardless, it was time to end it. I drew my fist back, looking up at the crowd one more time. And, just like before, I saw Midoriya.

I smiled at him. It was because of him, because of his words, that I was able to win. His spirit had seeped into me, allowing me to find a new strength that I didn't even know I had.

' _Thank you, Midoriy-'_

It hit me like a bullet train to the face. My mind exploded as the realization swept over me, completely erasing any thoughts of the fight, of Todoroki, of anything else. Thoughts and memories chained together like a series of explosions in my mind, each one linked to a single memory…

XXXXX

 _I practically vibrated with excitement as I sat on the couch between my parents, watching the TV with complete focus. A huge smile was painted on my face as I looked at the two men on the screen. On the left, reclining comfortably in a black leather recliner, was a famous talk-show host who regularly hosted pro heroes for interviews. My mom said he was handsome, and she always punched my dad in the arm when he agreed. But I didn't pay any attention to him, I only had eyes for the man sitting across from him._

 _On the right, squeezed in to an identical recliner that could barely contain his massive bulk, was All Might. He was dressed in his classic golden suit, with brown leather shoes and a silk blue tie. He was smiling at the interviewer, like always, and nodding as the interviewer asked him a question that I barely heard._

" _HA HA HA!" All Might cackled, throwing his head back. "Ah, that is quite an interesting question indeed! What is the meaning behind 'Go Beyond!' you ask? Well, it has many meanings. I say it to people who are unsure of their powers. I say it to inspire others, and to show the world that it never has to fear as long as I am here. I say it because I believe that each and every one of us is able to be better than they ever believed possible. But, more than that, I say it because it's a phrase that someone very important to me told me a long time ago. They inspired me with those words, and one day I hope to pass them on to a very special person, just like they were passed down to me."_

" _A special person you say? Well All Might, would you mind telling us what you mean by that?"_

" _HA HA HA!"_

XXXXX

The memory from my childhood faded away, and I clutched my head with both of my hands, trying desperately to reel myself back in, trying to escape the rabbit hole. It was no use though, and the words Midoriya had said to me earlier today came unbidden to my mind.

' _A great hero once told me this, and now I pass it on to you. These words are a sacred torch, one that has been passed down to me from a man that I admire and respect deeply, and I tell you them because I believe that you are worthy of them… Go beyond…'_

Those words weren't all though. More and more pieces of a puzzle that I didn't even know existed were rapidly bursting into my mind, fitting together faster than I could banish them.

Bakugou's reaction at Midoriya's massive throw during the quirk apprehension test on the first day of school, the way he was completely shocked, how he had called Midoriya a quirkless freak.

Midoriya's quirk itself, and how it destroyed his body whenever he used it, like he couldn't fully control it. Like his body wasn't used to it.

His fighting style. The way he yelled smash with every attack, each one a massive punch or flick of his fingers. I'd never noticed it before, but they were so similar - no, identical - to _his_ fighting style.

I groaned as the thoughts came faster and faster, my mind racing painfully. It was so obvious now, so clear. How had I not seen it before? All of the clues were right there in front of me, in front of all of us, and yet we had completely missed them. It was insane. It was preposterous. It made absolutely no sense, and shattered everything I thought I knew about quirks.

But, it was the only thing that made sense. It was the truth. My mind calmed instantly as the final piece of the puzzle fell into place, and I knew with absolute certainty that the realization my Boosted brain had come to was the truth.

' _Midoriya…your quirk is his, isn't it.'_

I was shocked out of my state of intense thought by a sudden feeling of cold in my feet. I looked down and saw that Todoroki was freezing my feet to the ground in one last feeble attempt at immobilizing me. I shook my head. I would confront Midoriya about this later. Right now, I had one last thing to take care of.

I drew my fist back, and punched Todoroki in the temple. The light in his mismatched eyes went out, then his eyes rolled back into his head. He teetered for a moment, then slowly, with the speed of a tectonic plate to my eyes, crashed to the ground. Out cold.

I raised my fist to the sky, smiling, unable to hear the words yet knowing what was being said. Midnight raised her flogger.

"Todoroki is unable to continue...Shiamasu wins!"

 **Hey guys! I know, definitely not the ending you were all probably expecting. But I stand by it. Trust me, I know that Todoroki's fight with Midoriya in the next round is HUGELY important to both characters and the series as a whole. You can all put down your pitchforks, I haven't forgotten about it. I won't say anything else on the matter, you're just going to have to wait for the next update to find out what happens. I know, I know, I'm the worst and I always do dumb cliffhangers like this. It builds tension, okay?**

 **And as far as Kokuree realizing Midoriya's secret, which I'm sure is going to be another huge point of argument and hate being fired at me, you all have to admit that it really isn't that far of a stretch for him to figure it out. I mean, the hints dropped by Midoriya accidently and the similarities between him and All Might are so painfully obvious. Asui even comments on it in episode 9, and Todoroki gets pretty darn close to the truth in episode 19. At level 7, Shiamasu is essentially a genius, so it makes sense that he would be able to piece the truth together at that state. If you guys disagree, then PM me and we can hash it out.**

 **Anyway, thank you all for reading this chapter, I hope the fight wasn't too bad. It took me absolutely forever to plan and write, so I hope it came out okay. Now, the reviews:**

 **AnonChan1: Hey there! Thanks for the review, it's always great to see the the way you really process all the little pieces of my story, it helps me identify what I'm doing well and what I need to work on. It's really helpful. I hope you liked this update, and I hope to see you around here again!**

 **Guest: Well your wish came true, for better or worse. And you're right, that fight was a big development. Just be patient. No, thank you!**

 **LewtonSpoons: Thank you, I'm glad you like the story! I hope the fight was worth the wait (I'm sorry about that btw).**

 **Arkraith: I'm sorry I made you wait so long, I hope that doesn't affect your opinion of the story too much, though I understand if it does.**

 **Zerom1v: True, but he had to wait for Midnight to call the match on before he could activate his quirk. Annoying, but no way around it. I hope you liked the fight!**

 **Blazing heart frigid soul: First things first, can we trade names? Seriously, sweet username. Second, the backlash of Kokuree's quirk is set. While we've seen that he can increase his speed at least a little bit, thanks to the training he did with Chi we know that it's possible, but he'll always have to deal with the backlash of his quirk. Maybe he'll find a way around it in the future…?**

 **Blazing heart frigid soul (part 2): Well none of that happens fortunately for Kokuree's family.**

 **Lord Terronus: I know I'm the worst with cliffhangers, but hopefully this fight was worth the wait. I hope. Please.**

 **PassiveNox (Parts 1-3): Thank you, I'm glad you liked the prologue! And yes you're correct, my mistake. Silly me. I hope you continue to read the story!**

 **Icedragon811: Thank you, I'm glad you like the story! I hope the wait wasn't too bad.**

 **Oh, one more thing. As of this update, Boosted has officially hit over 200 followers! This is so absolutely incredible and I really can't believe how far this story has come. It's all thanks to you wonderful amazing people that Boosted is so popular, and it's you guys that inspire me to write. If it wasn't for you, this story wouldn't exist, so thank you all so so much. I hope that Boosted continues to grow and that you all continue to read it. You all are amazing, and all I can say to you is PLUS ULTRA!**

 **I'll see you all on the flipside, you beautiful, wonderful bastards.**


	24. Sports Festival pt 8: Phobia

I held my fist up high, my face practically splitting in half from smiling as the drawn out cheers of the crowd washed over me. Because I was in Level 7 the crowd was frozen in time to my eyes, but I could still see the elation on their faces, the excitement in their eyes as they cheered. I closed my eyes and imagined what they must have looked like in real time. Feet stomping, hands clapping, everyone screaming and cheering with jubilation at the conclusion to what was most likely the biggest upset in the Festival's history. When I was younger I had watched clips of pre-quirk sporting events, and imagined that the crowd's reaction was akin to the old buzzer-beaters and upset wins I had seen.

My thoughts went to my parents, and what they must have been thinking, watching from home. They were probably sitting on the couch together, clinging to each other with tears of joy streaming down their cheeks, crying and cheering and laughing together. Who knows? Maybe the rest of my family was watching too, cheering me on, the only one with a quirk in generations. Well, everyone besides my grandparents...

Sobered by the thought of my quirk-hating grandparents, I opened my eyes again, this time determined to find Chi in the crowd. I carefully scanned the crowd, turning slowly and letting my eyes linger over every section. It felt like 10 minutes to me, but in real time it was more likely about 5 seconds, but eventually I found her. My heart soared when I saw her; she had somehow gotten a seat in the third row on my left side. She had jumped out of her seat, her face red from screaming, and had both arms high in the air with a smile that may have been bigger than mine. Maybe it was the light, but I thought I saw something glittering in her eyes...I'd ask her later.

Tearing my eyes off Chi, I looked down at Todoroki. He was sprawled on his side, unconscious. A small pool of blood was forming under his head, fed by several thin streams of blood that dripped from his head, nose, and mouth. Under the blood, his face was a mess of bruises and scrapes. I couldn't be sure, but it was pretty likely that he had a few broken ribs and a concussion as well. Other than that though, all he really had were a lot of bruises, contusions, and scrapes. Besides being beaten to the point of unconsciousness in front of millions of people in the arena and watching at home, he'd gotten off pretty easy.

For a moment I felt a pang of pity for my classmate. He may have been an arrogant pretty-boy, but he was still a member of class 1-A, and I had all but ruined his chances of getting a decent internship offer. I could have gone a little easier on him…

I shook my head, dispelling the thought. Todoroki deserved every bit of what he got. He had openly declared war against Midoriya before the festival started, and said to him in front of everyone that he was stronger. Regardless of my friendship with Midoriya, the fact that he said that to a classmate was despicable. And he would be set up with a sweet internship thanks to his dad anyway, so that wasn't a factor. As far as I was concerned, he got what he deserved.

' _Guess you weren't that strong after all, Todoroki. Maybe this will teach you some humility.'_

Suddenly, a mental alarm began to blare in my head, warning me that I only had 10 seconds left before my quirk failed and I went into shock.

' _I have to get to the ready room and drink some of Chi's spit before my time runs out!'_

I could see that Midnight had begun to climb down from her seat in order to congratulate me and announce the next fight, but I didn't have time to wait for her. Spinning around, I sprinted down the steps of the ring and raced into the tunnels beneath the arena. My inner stopwatch gradually ticked down as I ran, but by the time I got to the ready room I knew I was safe. It had barely taken me a second to get from the ring where Todoroki and I had fought to the door to the ready room, leaving me with about 9 seconds left. I could have gone to the cafeteria and made myself a sandwich and still have had plenty of time.

I opened the door and strode over to my locker. As my hand closed around the handle I had a brief moment of panic, absurdly worrying that someone had found and confiscated the bottle. My heart pounded as I ripped the door open, but thankfully my sudden paranoia was unfounded. I sighed with relief and picked up the water bottle.

Unscrewing the cap and tossing it aside, I lifted the bottle to my mouth. As usual, I shuddered as the first mouthful of frothy, disgustingly warm spit touched my lips. I forced myself to swallow, coughing and gagging a little as I did.

' _At least she ate some fruit before doing this.'_ I thought, wiping my mouth. ' _Strawberry spit beats plain spit.'_

Thankfully the next swallow was easier to get down, and the 3rd was even easier. I set the bottle down after my 5th mouthful, feeling vaguely queasy from the spit in my stomach and my apprehension. I hoped that Chi's healing spit would be enough to keep me from experiencing the full recoil of my quirk, but I couldn't be sure. This was uncharted territory, both in terms of my quirk and the healing power of Chi's. The last time I had Boosted to level 7 I went into a comma for 3 days, barely alive, my body almost completely shut down. The same fate awaited me if Chi's spit didn't take the edge off. And even if it did, then there was still a good chance that I would be laid out. The backlash of my quirk at level 4 was enough to render me useless for 6 hours, so I needed Chi's spit to keep it below that point. That was 3, almost 4, levels of recoil that I needed to bypass, and the odds were not at all in my favor.

During my training for the Sport's Festival, the highest I had Boosted was level 2. Chi's spit was potent enough to keep me from feeling the detrimental effects of my quirk at that level, but that was only 2 levels of recoil that needed to be dealt with, and they were the weakest levels. I was taking a huge leap of faith here. Either Chi's spit would save me, or it wouldn't. This story didn't have another ending.

For the first time since Boosting to level 7, I felt regret. Sure I had won the fight, surpassed one of the limits of my quirk, and proven to the world that I had some real potential as a hero, but it would all be for nothing if I had to drop out of the Festival anyway. I knew it was pointless to blame myself; I hadn't meant to Boost this high, it was the combination of adrenaline and desperation. Still, I couldn't help but be just a little angry with myself. Now that I could Boost without saying the trigger words, I would need to train myself to be able to control the level I Boosted.

I had another two seconds before my time limit ran out, but there was really no reason for me to put it off.

' _Here goes nothing…'_ I thought. With a loud gulp, a released the hold on my quirk and came back down to my normal state.

My legs gave out and I crumpled to the floor, my head smacking against the floor with a sickening thunk. My entire body felt like it had been put through a medieval torture device, especially my legs. All of my muscles, from my calves to my neck, were so stiff that it felt as if any movement at all would tear them to shreds. That is, they would if I could move. All of the strength rushed out of my body as soon as I released my quirk, leaving me as weak as a newborn and what made my legs give out in the first place.

But all of that paled in comparison to the headache. It felt as icicles were being driven into my skull with a jackhammer, and any semblance of coherent thought was impossible. The baseline agony I felt from my head was bad enough, but what made it worse was that I felt my brain throb painfully with every heartbeat like it was pressing against the confines of my skull. The fluorescent lights were suddenly blindingly bright, and I screwed my eyes shut and pressed my forehead against the blessed cool of the cement floor.

Time ebbed and flowed around me as I lay there groaning, unable to think or move and barely able to breath. Each second felt like an eternity, yet the span between each agonizing heartbeat seemed to get shorter and shorter until it felt like my brain was vibrating.

As I lay there, I began to fervently wish that I would just pass out. The idea of the cold embrace of oblivion was heavenly to me: no pain, no lights, no weakness. Just sleep.

I groaned as another lance of pain hit. That tiny wish, barely even a thought, was enough to make my overheated brain protest angrily. I felt a tear trickle out from behind my eyelid. I just wanted the pain to stop.

Suddenly, I felt the muscles in my calves begin to knot and contract into a charley horse. I gasped as the muscles in my calves began to throb angrily, and I began to writhe and spasm like I was having a seizure as I tried frantically to alieve the pain in my legs. As I flopped around uncontrollably, blinded by the pain in my legs and my head, I felt one of my hands brush against something just out of reach.

My eyes flew open.

The water bottle…

I tried to crane my neck to look around, but the overload of optical information that flooded my brain as soon as I opened my eyes triggered another painful burst of pain in my skull and I quickly shut my eyes again. I took three rapid breaths, then strained with what little strength I had left to move my left arm.

My shoulder twitched, but my arm itself remained glued to the floor. I took a few more breaths, then tried again to move my arm. Nothing happened for a moment, then my arm slid an inch higher towards my head. Grunting like I was lifting my maximum weight, I heaved my arm higher. I stopped to rest when my arm was perpendicular to my head, panting and trying not to pass out from the pain in my head. Once my head stopped throbbing as painfully, I began to slide my arm further along the floor.

Slowly… oh so slowly… I slid the deadweight that was my arm further across the floor. Right as I was about to pause again, I felt the tips of my fingers brush against the side of the bottle. With an almighty groan, I reached up and wrapped my fingers around the bottle.

Now that I had the bottle in my hand, I paused to recover and get my breath back. I felt utterly spent, as if I had just tried to lift a mountain. My arm was trembling from exhaustion, and I had no idea how I was going to move the bottle now that I had it, let alone lift it to my mouth to drink.

I tried inching my body along the floor, but I didn't even try that for a full second before the combination of pain and exhaustion forced me to stop. It was clear that my only option would be to drag the bottle to myself with my arm.

I took a massive breath and with herculean effort began to pull the bottle closer. With a grinding sound that sounded as loud and painful as a machine gun being fired into my ear drum, the bottle slid closer.

"Aaaggghhh" I groaned, as the bottle brushed my head, sending another bolt of pain through my skull. I took a moment to recover from the pain, panting and exhausted, but satisfied. I had done it.

I inched one eye open, and inwardly sighed with relief as I saw that the bottle was unopened. I opened my mouth and slowly tipped the bottle down, trying not to have too much of the spit fall at once.

My eyes flew open as my hand suddenly gave out and the bottle fell across my mouth, sending nearly half of the remaining spit down my throat all at once. I choked and seized, gagging and spitting up...well, spit. My back arched as my coughing fit caused another bout of agony in my brain.

I lay there moaning, spit dripping off my face as the muscles in my calves gradually stopped contracting. I felt utterly spent. Thankfully, at least some of the spit managed to make its way into my system, as I felt my headache subside slightly. Now I could keep my eyes open without being in agonizing pain, and I found that some light thinking was doable. But, I still felt completely drained of all energy, and my muscles still felt shot.

With a jolt, I realized that if I didn't recover in the next hour, at the absolute most, that I would have to forfeit the next match. I couldn't let that happen. I refused to let that happen.

' _I need...recovery girl…'_ I thought. ' _She may be able to...fix my muscles...give me my strength back.'_

Recovery Girl may have been able to help me get back into fighting shape, but it wasn't like she knew where to find me, and I couldn't go to her either. I needed someone to get Recovery Girl for me. I needed someone to come in to the room and see my state. Frantically, I thought back to everyone know knew about the physical toll of my quirk. I assumed Mr. Aizawa knew, as well as the other teachers, because they had access to our quirk registration forms. But he would be too busy with the other fights to come check on me. My parents knew, but they were at home and of no help to me there. The only other person was Chi.

She was my best bet. Hopefully, Chi would come to congratulate me on the fight and would be able to get Recovery Girl for me. All I could do now was hope that she got here soon-

Before I even got a chance to finish my thought, I heard a creak as the door to the ready room swung open. Because of the way I fell I couldn't see who had just walked in, but I could care less who it was. I sighed with relief.

' _Perfect timing,'_ I thought.

"Hey," I murmured, barely able to make my voice audible. "Is that you, Chi?"

No one answered. I swallowed and tried again, straining to raise my voice.

"Hey… is anyone there?"

Again, no one answered. I felt a ripple of unease as the door creaked shut, and the lock slid home with a thunk. Someone had locked themselves in here with me.

"Who's there?" I said, straining to lift my head off the floor so I could see who was in here with me. I managed to lift my head about a millimeter of the floor, but that was all I could manage before my strength failed.

"I can't believe it…"

The voice sent a shiver down my spine. The voice sounded male, but it was hard to say for certain. It sounded distorted and synthesized, like how my voice sounded when I wore my helmet. But, the distortion couldn't keep the psychotic glee out of the voice of whoever was in the room with me.

Not only that, but the voice sounded… familiar.

"I just can't believe it," the voice said again. I looked around as much as I could without being able to move my head, but whoever was talking was out of my line of sight.

"Who is that?" I asked, a hint of unease in my voice. "Who's in here...who are you?"

"I thought that I'd have to fight you first," the voice continued, ignoring my question. "But apparently your little fight with Endeavor's kid took a lot out of you. This must be the backlash of your quirk...I bet you couldn't lift a finger, even if you tried. Perfect... it'll be so much easier to kill you now."

My blood turned to ice in my veins, and I struggled to keep my breathing under control. I tried to move, but it felt like my body was covered in lead. Whoever this person was, I was completely helpless before them.

"Who are you!" I demanded, trying desperately to stall for time. "Why do you want to kill me?"

There was a series of rapid thuds as whoever was in the room walked over to stand directly behind me, just out of my line of sight. A tiny puff of wind blew across my face, a fraction of a second before a boot connected the side of my head.

I cried out as my vision erupted into stars and I slid across the floor, spinning partially around. I lay there groaning, my head throbbing as a trickle of blood began to drip from my temple. After a few moments my vision began to return to normal, and I looked up at who it was that kicked me. What I saw… was a nightmare.

They wore a tattered cloak around their shoulders that was the deepest black I had ever seen, as well as heavy black boots and black pants. Around their waist was some kind of utility belt, from which hung six black spheres, each roughly the size of an apple. Next to the spheres was a dagger with a black handle. They also wore a black leather shirt that was criss-crossed by pouches and latches. The cloak was buttoned at the neck and the hood was drawn, but from the black depths of the hood I could see a single red eye glinting at me, like a spotlight.

"What, don't you recognize me?" The cloaked figure asked with a sadistic chuckle. Slowly, they reached up and pulled their hood down. I exhaled shakily.

The figure wore a matte-black metal mask in the likeness of some kind of twisted, steampunk skull. The eyes were huge, perfectly round red spotlights that glowed, and small tendrils of steam floated out from the nostrils of the mask. The mask had a massive, unnatural smile that showed jagged teeth. It was the face of a demon.

"Still not ringing any bells?" The figure said. "Maybe this will jog your memory."

After they pulled their hood back over their head, the figure reached down and grasped one of the black spheres and detached it from his belt.

"I think it's time that you and my pet got reacquainted!" The figure said, tossing the sphere into the air. The sphere hit the ground and, to my surprise, popped open at the middle with a soft popping sound. There was a rush of wind as a wave of black light emerged from the sphere, swirling and rapidly coagulating into a shape.

My heart began to beat out of control as the light took form, and my head began to pound with a renewed vigor. I knew that shape. I knew those claws...that putrid smell of death and decay...the blood-stained brown fur...those hate-filled yellow eyes…

I low growl like rocks being poured onto cement filled the room as the light finished taking form, revealing the monster it had created. My breaths whistled out of my nose at an increasing rate as I beheld the monster in front of me. It was the wolf from my nightmares, the embodiment of the terror inflicted on my by Sumisu all those years ago. Once again, I was face to face with my inner demon.

Now I knew who this masked figure was. I wrenched my eyes off the wolf and met the eyes of the figure, who was standing there expectantly.

"I know you," I managed to say. "Ryuketsu."

The figure threw back his head and laughed: a twisted, joyless sound...the laugh of a madman.

"So, you do remember me!" Ryuketsu said, clapping his hands together. "Excellent! But, I'm not Ryuketsu anymore. I go by Phobia now."

"Phobia…" I said, the bitter taste of dread thick on my tongue. "Suits you."

"Oh it more than suits me; I am the embodiment of fear itself!" Phobia said, spreading his arms wide. "I bring nightmares to life! I strike fear into the hearts of anyone who would dare oppose me! This world, this time of peace and light, it all sickens me! This world is overrun with self righteous heroes, passing judgement and stifling the shadows. I refuse to accept a world without darkness! I will kill every last hero until none remain, and I will fill the world with fear unlike any it has ever known! I will become the monster that calls this world its domain, and any light left in this world will be snuffed out!"

Phobia threw back his head and cackled.

"This world has forgotten what it's like to be afraid! Well, I will make them remember!"

I stared in horror as Phobia shook with psychotic laughter, overwhelmed by the depths of his insanity. I couldn't believe that once again I was face to face with this monster, a man who fed on fear.

Phobia's laughter stopped suddenly, and he directed his gaze back at me.

"But, all of that can wait for now," he said, any trace of laughter gone from his voice. "First thing's first…killing you."

My heart dropped as Phobia drew the knife from its sheath and stalked towards me, the wolf falling into step next to him.

"You can't be allowed to live," Phobia hissed, the wolf at his side growling as if in agreement. "You dared to stand up to your fear...you tried to overcome it. You need to learn that fear is the most unstoppable force in this world."

"Don't worry...I'll show you."

As Phobia walked closer, I truly began to realize that I was about to die. I couldn't fight, I couldn't run, I couldn't call for help. I was locked in a room with death.

I struggled mightily, gasping and fighting with everything I had to lift myself off the floor.

"Come on!" I grunted, half-crazed with panic. "Boost! Boost! Boost!"

I called out, reached for my power with everything I had...but it was no use. My quirk just wouldn't come. With herculean effort, I managed to bring my arms under me and push myself into sitting position.

"None of that," Phobia said, snapping his fingers. The wolf's eyes glinted as it darted forward and threw itself at me. I screamed as it knocked me back to the floor, pinning my arms down with its powerful forelegs. My head felt like it was splitting open, and tears of pain and fear streamed from my eyes as the wolf bared its fangs at me.

" **Quirkless freak,"** the wolf growled, its voice a monsterous rendering of Sumisu's. I choked as the smell of its breath wafted over me: a combination of rotting meat and bone.

"Now then, how would you like to die?" Phobia asked, bending over me. "Would you prefer to be ripped apart by the embodiment of your fear? Or would you rather I carved little pieces of meat off you and fed you to him, bit by bit?"

"I-I-I-I…" I stammered. Phobia chuckled and raised his hand to his ear.

"What's that?" he asked. "Could you say that again?"

"I...I…" My tongue felt like it was covered in sand, and the words felt heavy on my tongue. I tried to swallow, but couldn't. I was drowning in panic. Phobia sighed and clicked his tongue. On command, the wolf pressed down on my left arm. I screamed in pain as the bone in my upper arm bent and then snapped like a twig under the wolf's weight.

But, the lance of pain that shot through my arm, across my chest, and into my brain brought clarity, as the pain overwhelmed and replaced the panic, and I found that I could speak again. I clenched the fist of my good arm and met Phobia's eyes, my own blazing with a newfound fire.

"I'm," I began, my jaw clenched in pain and effort. "Not afraid...of you. Kill me if you can...but I won't die in fear."

Phobia reeled back as if he was struck, as if the words caused him physical pain. For a moment he was motionless. Then, he began to tremble. It was barely perceptible at first, but quickly grew in intensity as his breaths began to come heavier and faster from behind the mask.

"You…" he spat, a cloud of steam erupting from the nostrils of his mask. "You...you...YOU!"

With a cry of rage he darted forward and kicked the wolf off me, then began to stomp and kick me with the ferocity of a wild animal.

"YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU YOU-" he said over and over again, so overcome with rage that he was physically unable to say anything else. I cried out as his heavy boot struck me over and over again, all over my body. Unable to move, all I could do was lay there and take it as Phobia stomped me into the floor.

Breathing heavily, Phobia knelt next to me and held the knife above my throat.

"Die!" he screeched, bringing the knife down.

There was a loud bang as someone pounded on the door. Phobia froze, the knife mere millimeters from the soft flesh of my throat. I let out a choked sob and shuddered violently. I took in a breath as the banging continued, but Phobia clamped a gloved hand down on my mouth, saying:

"If you so much as breathe too loudly, I'll cut out your tongue and shove it down your throat."

Without waiting for a reply, he snapped his fingers and beckoned his wolf over. He whispered something in its ear, then stood. As he did, the wolf opened its mouth and clamped down on my neck, biting down hard enough for its fangs to break skin.

Phobia crossed the room silently as whoever stood outside continued to pound on the door, his hand wrapped around another one of the black spheres. I tried to think of a way out, but it was hopeless. My brain still felt foggy from the backlash of my quirk, and my mind had gone all but blank with fear from the wolf at my throat.

Phobia froze as the banging on the door stopped suddenly. My heart dropped; I thought whoever was outside had given up and left, unknowingly leaving me to die.

The reality was infinitely worse.

"Shiamasu?" A voice whispered through the door. "Are you in there?"

I choked as a wave of bile filled my throat, my heart rate spiking.

' _Please God...no…'_

Phobia turned back to look at me, the red eyes of his mask boring into mine. Even though it was covered by the mask, I could feel his sadistic smile as he saw my reaction. I opened my mouth to yell out a warning, my own safety be damned, but the wolf bit down hard on my throat and stifled whatever I would have said.

With one last look at me, Phobia flicked the lock and wrenched open the door, grabbing the person on the other side and flinging them into the room before slamming the door shut.

"Well well well, who have we here?" Phobia said, practically purring with excitement. "Is this a friend of yours, Shiamasu?"

I didn't answer, staring at the person on the floor at Phobia's feet.

It was Chi.

 **Hey guys! I know this is a super short chapter, but I'm sorry...I just couldn't resist leaving this as a cliffhanger. I know you're all going to hate me for this, and to be honest I don't blame you, but I just couldn't resist. It was too good. I promise the next one will be nice and long to make up for it. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter though, short as it was. Ryuketsu (now Phobia) and Shiamasu meet again for their fated rematch. Who's going to come out on top? Only time will tell. Now, the reviews from the previous update(boy there are a lot):**

 **Zerom1v: Thanks! Don't you worry about our friend icy-hot, he'll come back from this.**

 **AnonChan1: I always love reading your reviews because of the way it shows your thought process as you read each update, and gives me a little insight into what others are thinking as they're reading. I really appreciate the thoroughness they have to offer. I hope you liked this update!**

 **Guest: I'm glad you liked the fight! I'm really happy that the feedback regarding that fight is so positive, especially since I had Shiamasu win and not Todoroki. I was on the edge of my seat writing it, so I'm glad others had the same reaction!**

 **Jack Redhawke (1 + 2): Yes you're right that the whole 10% thing is a myth, but I figured "what the hell, it's a fanfic. If they can make an entire movie around this myth, then I can write a story with it". Kind of a lame excuse on my part, I know. Thank you for telling me that I was missing a description, I went back and added one in. It's always tough to through in a description of the main character in a 1st person story, since no one ever really describes themselves in real life, so I hope it's not too jarring.**

 **Yuu Sumeragi: I hope you didn't have a heart attack (thanks so much).**

 **Lord Terronus: Hey there! Thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked the last update so much. Please don't backflip into any pools of piranhas though, that would be bad. No, you never say too much. Sorry your theory wasn't quite right, but not a bad guess. I hope you enjoyed this update. Plus Ultra to you too!**

 **Guest: It varies person to person. Personally, I can't look at a phone while I'm in the car or on a train, I get motion-sickness.**

 **Mr. Jack Joke: I wouldn't say in trouble just yet, but he certainly has a conundrum on his hands now that Shiamasu knows.**

 **Guest: Am I planning on pairing Shiamasu with anyone… maybe, maybe not. Still mulling that one over.**

 **21Orphans: Thank you for the review, it wasn't that long at all! I'm glad you agree that Shiamasu discovering Midoriya's secret isn't a stretch, honestly I never understood why no one seemed to put the pieces together.**

 **Naruffoku (1-6): I really appreciate the thorns and roses approach of these reviews. Regarding the bauxite ore thing, I was trying to make him sound smarter to accentuate the fact that he's smarter when he's boosted, but that obviously failed. In regards to the physics of his quirk/speed, keep in mind that this is taking place in an anime universe. Kids are making ice and fire out of thin air, creating explosions with their hands, creating zero gravity, and there are people who can level cities with single blows. In our world yes, his speed would kill both himself and anyone he touched, but in the fictive universe of MHA its par for the course. Anyway, I'm glad that you think that this story improved as it went on. It's grown and developed with me, and I couldn't be happier to hear that that growth is apparent.**

 **Whew that was a lot of reviews, but I really really really appreciate all of the feedback you guys have to offer, so thank you all so much! That's all I have for now, I'll see you all on the flipside!**


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